Alcaraz: "My best level will also come on this surface"

Carlos Alcaraz won his first indoor title at the ATP Rotterdam 2025 by defeating Alex De Miñaur in the final (6-4 3-6 6-2). The Spaniard reached Dutch glory after a week where his opponents included Botic Van de Zandschulp, Andrea Vavassori, Pedro Martínez, Hubert Hurkacz, and the Australian in the final. Despite not being at 100%, he managed to win the title as a cold slightly affected his week, leading him to use a nasal strip to breathe better during the matches.

He knew it, and we all knew it. Carlos Alcaraz knew he could showcase a good level on indoor courts and arrived at the ATP Rotterdam to silence his critics, and he certainly did. Despite starting the first round by dropping a set, it was all due to physical discomfort. From then on, his path to the final was relatively smooth until he faced a tough opponent like Hurkacz, whom he managed to defeat. In the final, he also dominated, even though he lost a set. Carlos faced the press to assess his first title under these conditions.

- Seventeenth ATP title at 21 years old

Alcaraz's numbers are impressive, but sometimes we fail to realize the extent of his tennis abilities. Carlos spoke after proving what he set out to achieve: "This title is special because it's the first on an indoor surface, and I've shown I can play well on this type of court," he began, and then explained how the match unfolded: "I remained focused throughout the match, even though I lost the second set I was strong for the third. I felt some pressure, but I handled it very well."

"I'm happy because I knew I had the level to perform well under these conditions. Some players have a better game for indoors, but I've managed to defeat players like those, and that gives me a lot of confidence. My best level will also come on this surface, I need to work on improving what I've been training."

- Moments of disconnection

At times, we see the young Spaniard disconnect from the game without apparent reason, and he also wanted to address this topic: "Sometimes I have doubts about what to do, and the feelings change during the match, for example, today I felt good in the second set despite losing it, whereas in the first, I was somewhat uncomfortable. This week, I wanted to focus on being mentally strong even if I had setbacks during the match, keep fighting, and keep pushing forward despite everything. This tournament has helped me a lot with that."

- Jannik Sinner, a last-minute withdrawal

The ATP Rotterdam 2025 promised to be epic with Sinner defending the crown from the previous edition and Carlos Alcaraz hot on his heels to claim it for himself. However, the Italian decided not to attend the event after winning another Australian Open, so they will meet again at the ATP Doha. When asked if the Spanish player missed the Italian in Rotterdam, he replied, "I didn't miss Jannik during the week (laughter), but it would have been very positive for the tournament if he had come, although I understand his reasons."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz: "Mi mejor nivel también llegará en esta superficie"