Alcaraz Admits He 'Didn't Miss' Sinner During Victorious Week In Rotterdam
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Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he was happy that his rival Jannik Sinner wasn't present at the 2025 Rotterdam Open.
Alcaraz's first tournament of the season ended in a bit of a disappointment. He lost to an injured Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, which was certainly not a result he imagined.
Only a few weeks later, the 21-year-old Spaniard was able to forget that result and put together a great week of tennis at the 2025 Rotterdam Open.
Alcaraz was honest about his struggles with his health while he competed at the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam, but still, no one could stop him from winning the title.
It was a great week for the ATP World No. 3 player, who lifted his first trophy on the indoor hardcourts. There were many reasons for Alcaraz to be proud of himself, and for him, winning in indoor conditions was very important.
Alcaraz hasn't played a lot in indoor conditions before, which is why he was very happy to win a title in Rotterdam. He believes he can be a great player on the indoor courts.
"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. 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."
Alcaraz was the top seed in Rotterdam, but he initially wasn't the highest-ranked player signed up for the event. The reigning World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, also signed up to compete in Rotterdam.
In fact, the Italian player won the title in Rotterdam last year. Since he chose not to compete this year, he will lose 500 ATP ranking points.
That means Alcaraz won't catch up to him by only the 500 points that he won, but also by another 500 points that Sinner will lose. That will reduce the gap between the two by 1,000 points.
In the past, Alcaraz often talked about how he wanted to beat the best on his journey to becoming the best. That was also maybe one of the reasons why he was asked about Sinner after his win in Rotterdam.
This time, however, the four-time Grand Slam champion joked that he was happy that Sinner wasn't present in the Netherlands.
"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."
