Alcaraz became the first Spaniard to win the tournament's 52-year history yesterday by beating De Minaur 6-4 3-6 6-2 in the final of the Rotterdam Open. De Minaur rebounded in form in the second set to take the match to a decider, but the 21-year-old quickly adjusted his pace and won his 17th tour title after a thrilling battle of one hour and 54 minutes.

"It's been a really good week for me." Speaking to his team after the game, Alcaraz said: "We put in a lot of effort. When I first came here, I wasn't quite well off from my cold, but as the race progressed, I was getting better. Rotterdam is a special place for me. I would have said that it wasn't just because of the championship...... Of course, the championship is also important, but what touched me even more was the support I felt from day one. ”

Alcaraz became the first player to win an ATP 500 event on clay, grass and hard courts last year, and now he has added his first indoor hard court title to 17-5 in his career final.

However, after the game, some foreign media Tennis World jokingly ridiculed: "Alcaraz equaled a record in Nadal's career at the age of 21." Nadal defeated Serbia's Ljubicic in five sets in the final of the 2005 ATP Madrid Masters, the only indoor hardcourt title of Nadal's career, at the age of 19.

Speaking at the post-match award ceremony after De Minaur's victory, Alcaraz proudly spoke about how he felt about winning his first indoor hardcourt and Rotterdam titles. "This title is special because it is my first indoor hard court title and it also proves that I can play well on this kind of surface," he said. ”

Alcaraz also spoke about the confidence boost the win gave him and his hope to continue training hard and get more victories on hard courts. "I'm happy because I know I'm capable of playing at a high level in these conditions. There are some players who play more indoors, but I managed to beat them and that gave me a lot of confidence. My best level will also be shown on this kind of field, and I need to keep working hard and improve my training. ”

The victory undoubtedly gave Alcaraz a strong boost to bounce back from his defeat at the 2025 Australian Open.

On the other hand, De Minaur reached the final in Rotterdam for the second year in a row, a performance that would help him return to his career-high ranking of world No. 6 on Monday. The 25-year-old Australian was hoping to challenge for his 10th tour title, but was unable to hold off Alcaraz's fierce comeback and lost in the deciding set.

"We are always striving for higher and farther goals." Speaking about his team after the match, De Minaur said, "I've improved a lot in the last few years and I'm going to keep going. It's been the second year in a row that I've won the runner-up trophy and hopefully one day I'll actually lift the trophy. ”

De Minaur's impressive performance at this tournament in Rotterdam was largely due to his significantly improved serve. Before the final, he had a 97% service win rate (conceded just one game out of 36). However, he still struggled to parry Alcaraz's strong attack. The Spaniard took the advantage of breaking serve in the opening game and, although he was later broken back, he quickly steadied himself and regained control.

Compared with Alcaraz's comprehensive suppression on the baseline in the first set, De Minaur launched a strong counterattack in the second set. The 25-year-old Australian kept Alcaraz under constant pressure with his aggressive attack from the baseline, while showing strong defensive prowess. In the fourth game, he managed to break through Alcaraz's defence with a tricky backhand through the ball, showing his tenacity.

Heading into the decider, Alcaraz quickly adjusted his form and regained the rhythm of the match, showing his consistency in the title race. The Spaniard patiently looked for opportunities and won five of the final six games to claim his 17th title, surpassing his coach Ferrero's career record of 16.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)