Carlos Alcaraz explains the change in his racket weight since the start of the 2025 season

World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz is looking to win his first indoor title at the Rotterdam this year following success on other surfaces.

Carlos Alcaraz explains the change in his racket weight since the start of the 2025 season

Carlos Alcaraz at Rotterdam Open 2025 (via Instagram)

21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is aiming for his first indoor title at the 2025 ABN AMRO Open, underway in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Alcaraz has now reached the finals in his debut campaign in Rotterdam. In a recent press conference, the Spaniard talked about his performance, the significance of the extra five grams he added to his racket during the preseason, and what he enjoys most about the Netherlands.

Speaking about his quarterfinal match, Alcaraz expressed his happiness and satisfaction with the level he showed, which he thinks was very high. He faced compatriot Pedro Martinez in the quarterfinals, whom he defeated in straight sets.

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Alcaraz said that every time he steps on the court, he tries to maintain a consistent level of intensity throughout the match. He thinks he executed that perfectly in this match, which is why he is very happy.

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I changed the weight of the racket a bit. I played in Australia with those extra five grams, felt a bit more strength, the ball feels somewhat different, generates more power. That’s what I have felt the most. It also depends a lot on which player you are facing. I feel that with this, I exert more force more easily and maintain the same control, the ball comes out with more power.

Carlos Alcaraz said after the match

Carlos Alcaraz added that he feels very good physically, is playing very well, is in good mental shape, and was ready for the weekend. He remarked that the result of the match may make it seem easy, but no matches are that simple.

Carlos Alcaraz beat Hubert Hurkacz in the Rotterdam Open semifinals in a rather hard-fought match

Carlos Alcaraz also seems to be having a wonderful time on his first visit to Rotterdam, which he has often spoken about throughout the tournament. World No. 3 described how much he loved playing in front of everyone and felt the support in training and matches. While the Spaniard hasn’t been able to explore Rotterdam as much as he would like, he still enjoys the support.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Aclaraz (via Instagram)

Alcaraz expressed his desire to put his name next to the other players who have won this tournament, reiterating that is why he is here. The earlier editions of the Rotterdam Open have been won by several prominent tennis icons, including Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Jannik Sinner, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Arthur Ashe.

The Rotterdam Open marks Alcaraz’s second tournament of the year, with the first one being the Australian Open. He had a rocky start to his debut Rotterdam Open campaign, dropping a set and making many unforced errors in his first-round match against Dutch wildcard Botic van de Zandschulp.

However, his further rounds against Andrea Vavassori and Pedro Martinez saw him play with more consistent form. In the semifinals, he faced Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, and beat him in a hard-fought three-setter. The scores read 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3. The Spaniard will now face Alex de Minaur in the final.