Carlos Alcaraz gets honest about being 'superstitious' and reveals reason behind his nasal strip after reaching Rotterdam final

Carlos Alcaraz has candidly discussed the reason behind his continued use of a nasal strip during his campaign at the 2025 ABN AMRO Open. Despite battling a cold, the Spaniard has pushed through to advance to the final in Rotterdam.

Alcaraz squared off against Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals of the ATP 500 event, claiming a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory after a thrilling two-hour and 21-minute battle. The World No. 3 sported a black nasal strip during the riveting encounter, which has become a fixture during his campaign.

In his pre-tournament press conference, Carlos Alcaraz disclosed that he had caught a cold when he returned home to Murcia after his quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, admitting that he had been "struggling" with the illness.

"I took a few days off. I spent a few days at home – different weather; it was tough. I caught a cold. So I was struggling a little bit at home. I could practice just two days. And then I had to rest to see if the cold gets better," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Following his semifinal win, the Spaniard acknowledged that his condition had improved while using the nasal strip over the course of his week in Rotterdam but admitted that he was still not at full strength.

Although Alcaraz explained that the strip significantly helped his breathing, he confessed that superstition played a role in keeping it on. Since he had been wearing the strip since the start of the tournament, he felt he couldn't remove it until he fulfilled his quest to win his maiden indoor hard court title.

"Well, I feel much better since the start of the week. I’m not going to say I feel great, that I’m 100%. The cold is still there a little bit, but it’s kind of superstitious as well. It helps to breathe normally, it helps a lot. But once I started the tournament with that, I couldn’t take it off," he said.

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Carlos Alcaraz to lock horns with Alex de Minaur in Rotterdam final

Alex de Minaur and Carlos Alcaraz - Source: Getty

Following his win over Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Alex de Minaur in the 2025 ABN AMRO Open final. De Minaur defeated Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-2 to set up the blockbuster title clash against the World No. 3.

The highly anticipated battle will mark the duo's third tour-level meeting, with Alcaraz enjoying a flawless 2-0 winning record against the Australian Open. Their most recent encounter took place in the 2023 Queen's Club Championships final, where the 21-year-old claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Following their title clash at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, both Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur will head to Doha for the Qatar Open, which is scheduled to commence on February 17.