Alcaraz to Compete for Title in Rotterdam Against De Minaur

Carlos Alcaraz will have the opportunity to win his first title of 2025 this Sunday. The Spaniard defeated Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals of the Rotterdam tournament, with scores of 4-6, 7-6 (5), and 6-3, and will face Alex de Minaur in his first final of the year. In the highest-level match of the week, against one of the best hard court players on the circuit, Alcaraz overcame all the challenges posed by Hurkacz and can lift a title this Sunday against the Australian, the first indoor title of his career.

The Pole, a rival he has defeated in all four of their encounters, is always a tough opponent, and if it weren't for his softness in crucial moments, he could have easily eliminated Alcaraz in Rotterdam, just as he nearly did in Cincinnati in 2023, when he served for the match but ended up losing.

Hurkacz is a unique player, aesthetically pleasing to watch, powerful with his serve and forehand, but often lacking the composure to beat the best. That's why he is one of the few players classified as servers who can lose a set on indoor hard courts when leading 1-4 and 0-40 on Alcaraz's serve. He went from having a 1-5 lead to losing the set 6-4.

It was a great set of tennis, with praise on both sides and Alcaraz giving a thumbs up in approval when Hurkacz hit a spectacular lob followed by a drop volley. The level of play was very high, and in the second set, the Pole returned the compliment to Alcaraz after the Spaniard chased down a drop shot at the net. "Good point," Hurkacz said before surviving when he seemed out of the match.

In the second set tiebreak, Alcaraz secured the mini-break and went up 5-4 with two serves, but then double-faulted. He also lost the 5-5 point and sent a backhand into the net to lose the set. It was a match Hurkacz should have won in two sets, but he was destined to lose in three. Because Alcaraz is showing in 2025 that his lapses are becoming smaller and the fires are being extinguished much sooner. This time, it was barely three points of disconnection before a third set in which he decisively defeated Hurkacz. The Pole had already missed his chance. He should have won it much earlier.

This Sunday (15:30 Spanish time), Alcaraz can win the first indoor title of his career against De Minaur, who dropped only three games against Matti Bellucci (6-1, 6-2). It will be the third meeting between Alcaraz and De Minaur, with the Spaniard winning both previous encounters at the Conde de Godó in 2022 and at Queen's in 2023.