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The 2025 Rotterdam Open is upon us, and as always, it’s an event that will feature some of the best players in the world, including Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur, and more.
The event has traditionally been one of the most popular of the season, often boasting superb draws. World number one Jannik Sinner played and won last year. Sinner won’t be attending this year, but we have some other big names and a few storylines to discuss. Let's get into it.
Can Carlos Alcaraz bounce back?
The last great performance by Carlos Alcaraz came at the China Open in 2024 when he won the trophy by beating Jannik Sinner in the final. Since then, the Spaniard has mostly played solid tennis but never threatened to win a trophy. Could this event finally change that? It’s a big question.
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He never played here before because he opted to play in South America on clay, so choosing Rotterdam this year was a conscious choice. It’s perhaps an attempt to get a head start on hard courts ahead of the Sunshine Double next month, trying to reduce the gap between himself and Sinner. He’s fallen short of that for many months now, so this event is hugely significant from that perspective.
Facing Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening round won’t be easy for him. Rotterdam is notoriously slow for an indoor hard court, conditions that should suit Alcaraz. Either way, many will be closely watching how he does here.
Is Daniil Medvedev still a top 5 player?
Unlike Alcaraz, Medvedev has played in Rotterdam in the past. He’s one of the regulars, coming to this event often. His results have been mixed. A semi-final in 2019 was followed by back-to-back round-one exits in 2020 and 2021, but he won it in 2023 by beating Sinner.
His run in Rotterdam will also be closely followed because the Russian has a lot of question marks around his tennis as well. He’s been one of the more consistent players in the past five years, but this year hasn’t looked so impressive. Australia was a pretty lackluster showing from him, but perhaps a return indoors will provide a spark.
He needs it because, much like Tsitsipas, he’s slowly drifted towards inconsistency and requires a course correction. A good run here could do that, but facing Stan Wawrinka in the opening round will be a tough one. Only he can prove that he’s still one of the best, but he’ll need to start playing much better than he has lately.
What does the future hold for Stefanos Tsitsipas?
Another player who has come to Rotterdam often is Stefanos Tsitsipas. He’s also a player who has struggled to put together consistent performances.
A good run in Rotterdam would do wonders for his confidence, so in that sense, it’s imperative for him. Rotterdam has been a decent spot for him in the past. Indoors generally serve as a comfort blanket for Tsitsipas because he can get by on his serve through lots of matchups.
The problem for him recently has mostly been a lack of confidence. It’s not so much that he lacks any weapons, although they aren’t as strong as those of Alcaraz or Sinner. He seems struggling for momentum and that could partly be due to the lack of confidence stemming from a lack of wins, important wins. As a player who made the final here before, it’s a good place for him to turn that around, though whether he can truly do that remains to be seen.
Can Holger Rune return to indoor prowess?
Another player that many will keep an eye on in Rotterdam, is Holger Rune. The Danish superstar had a bit of a head start to this indoor part of the season by playing in the Davis Cup, where he helped Denmark move past Serbia in the qualifiers.
He played three matches in total, winning a crucial doubles and two singles on the final day to secure a 3-2 win for Denmark. He had lost to Hamad Medjedovic on Day One, which was a pretty shocking and upsetting loss.
Rune’s form is not where it needs to be, though Rotterdam might help him return to form. He has shown glimpses of brilliance throughout his career. His win over Novak Djokovic in 2022 at the Rolex Paris Masters to win his maiden 1000 trophy was an example of how good can be on the court. The serve and shot-making simply do wonders for him, but time will tell if he returns to form.
Rotterdam will present a really good chance for him to do so, especially with the Davis Cup head start, but the draw seems tricky for him as he has Lorenzo Sonego to deal with in the opening round. The way this event goes for Rune will tell fans a lot because he's also a player who has struggled to make a big impact in the past year and a bit more.
It's time to reverse that and maybe it just comes on the surface where his big break out came on.
Is Alex de Minaur a legit top 5 player?
Another player who will play in Rotterdam and also had a head start is Alex de Minaur. Much like Holger Rune, he also played the Davis Cup and played indoors. He looked as good as ever, but that’s not a huge surprise. De Minaur always played well indoors, highlighted by his performance at the ATP Finals last year, where he showed a decent level.
Now it’s time for him to prove it meaningfully in 2025. This season had started well enough for him. He is ranked number eight right now, and he has a really good chance to prove that he’s a legit top-five player. That’s the next obstacle for him.
As we noted, indoor suits him really well, and Rotterdam is no exception. He made the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023 and a final against Sinner last year. That sort of track record makes him a name to look out for at this event, especially with the improved level and added motivation this year.
Overall, this event promises to be one of the most interesting events of this early season. It won’t rival the Australian Open for obvious reasons, but there are many great players, most of them having something to prove. It doesn’t get any better than that, so stick with us to get your daily news from the upcoming Rotterdam Open, an ATP 500 event that features some of the best names in the sport like Alcaraz, Medvedev, de Minaur, Rune, and Tsitsipas.
