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Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev are all set to headline the 2025 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. Despite the withdrawals of defending champion Jannik Sinner and former finalist Grigor Dimitrov, the tournament presents a heavily stacked draw, with the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and Stan Wawrinka bidding for the title.
Sportskeeda was able to gain inside access to the players’ preparations ahead of their anticipated campaigns. Here’s what we saw:
Carlos Alcaraz continued his practice sessions while battling cold
Carlos Alcaraz arrived in Rotterdam on Friday, January 31, after a brief training block in Spain following his Australian Open loss to Novak Djokovic. Just hours later, the Spaniard took the court with his rival, Daniil Medvedev, for an intense practice session.
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On Saturday, Alcaraz shared the Center Court with 2024 Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin. The 21-year-old appeared to be battling a cold as he was captured coughing and blowing his nose.
"I could practice just two days. And then I had to rest to see if the cold gets better," he said about his journey to Murcia in the press conference.
Despite the physical struggles, though, Alcaraz carried on with his training, wearing a nasal strip to ease his discomfort.
He also shared some laughs with his newly appointed second coach, Samuel Lopez, who is acting as his head coach at the tournament in the absence of longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Daniil Medvedev appeared unsatisfied with his game
A day after his hit with Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev shared the Centre Court with former finalist David Goffin. The Russian, who announced his split with Gilles Simon in the pre-tournament press conference, was accompanied by his longtime coach Gilles Cervara. Going out of his comfort zone, Medvedev practiced serving and volleying and produced a few dropshots.
"I’m always trying to do whatever is the right shot at the right moment. Yesterday I actually remember some dropshots where maybe I should have not done them. It (adding new techniques) is not something particularly on my mind. Serve and volley – I’m not a serve and volley player. On practice it’s always good to try more things," he said in his pre-tournament press conference.
At one point during his practice, Daniil Medvedev, who is known for his animated on-court persona, appeared unsatisfied with his form and furiously threw a couple of rackets in the stands. The Russian, who crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round, looks to return to winning ways against fellow former champion Stan Wawrinka on Monday.
Stefanos Tsitsipas looked to make the most of his wildcard entry with archrival Medvedev
Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas was a last-minute addition to the Rotterdam roster. The 2022 finalist, who suffered an opening-round loss at the Australian Open, bagged a wildcard entry. Tsitsipas was in good spirits after a brief return to his homeland.
"Sometimes you need to go back to where it started to remember why you started," he wrote on Instagram about his journey to Athens.
On Sunday, February 2, the former World No. 3 participated in a lengthy hit with his archrival, Daniil Medvedev, ahead of his match against French qualifier Harold Mayot. While the pair's fiery feud over the years is no secret, they have warmed up to each other in recent months. Several fans were able to get a glimpse of the duo, with the Centre Court open for public on “Sunday Funday.”
A fan faced heartbreak after Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev's training session
Following their grueling practice, Tsitsipas and Medvedev graciously spared time for their young fans, giving out autographs and clicking pictures courtside. Their names echoed across the arena as fans eagerly awaited their turns to meet their idols.
Amid all the chaos, one fan appeared to be heartbroken after seemingly missing out on the opportunity to interact with the duo. Tears rolled down his face while being lovingly consoled by his mother.
Fans flocked to Center Court to watch Carlos Alcaraz in action
Earlier the same day, Carlos Alcaraz was in action on Center Court with Czech tennis player Jiri Lehecka. The “Sunday Funday” event gave local fans their first-ever opportunity to watch the four-time Grand Slam champion ahead of his tournament debut. There was hardly a vacant spot, with enthusiasts glued to their seats to watch it all unfold.
Carlos Alcaraz soaked in the atmosphere as he prepared himself for the crowd to be against him on Tuesday during his opener against Dutch wildcard Botic van de Zandschulp.
Holger Rune made a hurried trip to Rotterdam after Danish triumph
A few players, including Arthur Fils and Alex de Minaur, represented their home countries – France and Australia, at last week’s 2025 Davis Cup qualifiers. Among them was Holger Rune, who represented Denmark in what was a miraculous comeback to crush the favorites, Serbia.
After losing his first match against Hamad Medjedovic, the Dane flipped the script against Miomir Kecmanovic in front of his home crowd in Copenhagen. His compatriot, Elmer Moeller, made the final push to stage a stunning 3-2 upset.
Holger Rune spared little time to celebrate as he rushed to Rotterdam ahead of his first-round match against Lorenzo Sonego on Tuesday. The 21-year-old was accompanied by his mother, Aneke, as he kicked off his practice sessions on Sunday.
