Carlos Alcaraz wins his first indoor title
Usually, an Alcaraz title run wouldn’t be news. He’s only 21, and this is already his 17th tournament victory. It’s a bigger deal when he loses than when he wins. But Rotterdam was different, and promising, for a couple of reasons.
First, as mentioned, this was both his first indoor final, and his first indoor title. That may seem hard to believe, but it’s exactly as many indoor titles as Alcaraz’s countryman, Rafael Nadal, won in his entire career. It seems like Spanish players like the elements, and don’t like how quickly points can play out in the controlled conditions of a closed arena.
“I knew that I [could] play really good tennis on indoor courts, it was just about time,” Alcaraz said. “I had not too much experience playing on indoor courts. There are a lot of players who play better tennis on indoor courts than me, but I am improving and it’s a really important week.”
