Alcaraz to make Rotterdam debut as Fritz leads the way in Dallas

The indoor hard-court action on the ATP Tour heats up this week with two ATP 500 events in Rotterdam and Dallas, respectively.

Carlos Alcaraz will make his debut at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where the No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings is chasing a first title since triumphing at the China Open in Beijing last October. At the Dallas Open, Top 10 stars Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud and defending champion Tommy Paul will all feature in the first edition of the tournament since its upgrade to ATP 500 level.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ROTTERDAM

1) Alcaraz’s Debut: Competing as the top seed on his debut in Rotterdam, Alcaraz will be eager to bounce back from the quarter-final defeat suffered to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. The four-time major winner has proven a menace on various surfaces, but is yet to reach a tour-level championship match indoors.

Alcaraz’s bid to break that record in Rotterdam could also prove pivotal in his quest to gain ground on No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings Alexander Zverev, who is 1,020 points ahead of the Spaniard but is not in action this week. The Spaniard will seek revenge for his second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open last year when he faces the Dutchman in his Rotterdam opener.

2) Top 10 Stars In Action: Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 Rotterdam champion, returns after missing last year’s edition through injury. The 20-time tour-level titlist will be joined by fellow Top 10 stars Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev in the field. De Minaur reached the final at last year’s edition while Rublev clinched the title in 2021.

3) Felix, Stan Among Former Champs: Montpellier winner Felix Auger-Aliassime will hope memories of his title run in Rotterdam in 2022 —his first tour-level crown— will help him maintain his red-hot from on the indoor courts. The 39-year-old wild card Stan Wawrinka, who claimed the title in 2015 and reached the final in 2019, is back for his seventh appearance in Rotterdam.

4) Home Hopes: Tallon Griekspoor reached consecutive semi-finals in Rotterdam in each of the past two years, falling to Jannik Sinner on both occasions. The top-ranked Dutchman will aim to progress further in 2025 and is joined by countryman Botic van de Zandschulp in the main draw.

5) Arevalo/Pavic Headline Doubles: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic will have their sights set on a first title of the 2025 season when they headline the doubles action in Rotterdam. The 2024 Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 team presented by PIF reached the semi-finals in Adelaide and the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DALLAS

1) Fritz Ready To Fire: Fritz is yet to claim an indoor title on the ATP Tour, but after his impressive end to the 2024 season, the top seed is a real contender in Dallas. The World No. 4 reached the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals in November, and will be eager to shake off his disappointing third-round exit to Gael Monfils at the Australian Open.

2) Paul’s Title Defence: Fittingly, Paul’s first tournament as a Top 10 player will be a title defence in Dallas. The 27-year-old has won three tour-level titles on indoor hard courts and will bid to add to his count when he attempts to successfully defend his crown from 12 months ago, when he defeated Marcos Giron in an all-American final.

3) Can Ruud Claim Indoor Glory? If Ruud can reignite the form that has propelled him to the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals in each of his three appearances, he will fancy his chances at claiming a first indoor title in Dallas. After his campaign at the United Cup and his second-round exit to Jakub Mensik at the Australian Open, the Norwegian holds a 3-1 record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

4) American Threats At New Venue: Since the event moved to Dallas from New York in 2022, two of the three champions have been American, and the trend may just continue. Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen round up the five seeded Americans in the field. The first edition of tournament as an ATP 500 also features a venue upgrade to The Ford Center at The Star, the practice facility for NFL team Dallas Cowboys.

5) Lammons/Withrow Top Seeds: Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow are making their team debut at the Dallas Open, though the top seeds will face fierce competition from the rest of the field. Shelton will team with World No. 7 Horacio Zeballos on the doubles court while 2023 champion Jammie Murray returns alongside Australia’s John Peers.