Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur will headline the Rotterdam ATP 500 final today.
The young Spanish champion has raised his level as the rounds go by, after having seriously risked being eliminated already on his debut against Botic van de Zandschulp.
After that initial scare, the 21-year-old Spaniard easily defeated both Andrea Vavassori and Pedro Martinez showing flashes of his infinite talent. The semifinal against Hubert Hurkacz was really very tough from all points of view, but Carlitos was good at making the difference in the decisive moments and prevailing in three sets.
The 4-time Grand Slam champion has not lifted a trophy since the Beijing ATP 500 last October and absolutely wants to win his first title in 2025, the first of his career on indoor hard courts. The champion from Murcia wants to improve his game in these conditions and has shown good signs during this week, although he can still improve in several aspects.
De Minaur has a huge chance
De Minaur – on the other hand – is playing perhaps the best tennis of his entire career and has had almost no difficulty getting to the final.
This surface enhances his game and the Australian ace is really convinced that he can lift the trophy despite starting as an underdog.
Alex had also reached the final in Rotterdam last year, when he was defeated by Jannik Sinner despite playing a really good match.
Carlitos is ahead 2-0 in the h2h against Alex, but their challenges have always been very balanced and uncertain. Their first clash was in the 2022 Barcelona Open semifinal – when the Spaniard won after a beautiful battle – while their last match was the 2023 Queen’s ATP final won by Alcaraz with a score of 6-4 6-4.
The feeling is that de Minaur has more chances against Carlos than he has against Sinner. The Australian will have to be very regular and consistent throughout the match, taking advantage of his opponent’s usual lapses in concentration.
Tennis World USA