Alcaraz lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6, as his struggles down under continued.

In recent years, the 21-year-old had chosen to play the clay ‘Golden Swing’ in South America, participating in tournaments such as the Buenos Aires Open, and Rio Open.

This time around, Alcaraz has chosen to take his talents to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, where he will play on indoor hard courts.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner withdrew from Rotterdam recently, as he continues to recover from his Australian Open victory.

Therefore, Alcaraz will enter the event as the top seed and favorite, although his draw certainly isn’t the easiest.

Carlos Alcaraz to play Botic van de Zandschulp in Rotterdam Open first round

Ahead of the 2025 Rotterdam Open, Alcaraz has been handed a tricky draw, with a first-round opponent that won’t bring back too many fond memories.

Botic van de Zandschulp beat Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open last year, condemning him to his worst Major performance since his debut season.

The pair will face off in the first round at Rotterdam, as the Dutch star looks to cause another upset, this time on home soil.

Alcaraz’s route to the title doesn’t get a whole lot easier after the first round, as the Spaniard has been given a nightmare draw in the Netherlands.

• 1R – [WC] Botic van de Zandschulp
• 2R – Felix Auger-Aliassime
• QF – [5] Holger Rune
• SF – [4] Andrey Rublev
• F – [2] Daniil Medvedev

The Spaniard could potentially take on the in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round, before running the gauntlet of top-five seeds; Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, and Daniil Medvedev.

Medvedev, Rublev, and Auger-Aliassime are all former champions at the event, with the former beating Sinner two years ago, in one of the most entertaining finals the event has seen in recent years.

Medvedev fought back from a set down to win, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, beating the Italian in a thriller.

What happened when Carlos Alcaraz played Botic van de Zandschulp at the 2024 US Open?

Alcaraz was the heavy favorite when he took on Van de Zandschulp in the 2024 US Open second round.

The Dutchman had reached the third round in New York just once before, and had lost his first two career meetings with Alcaraz in straight sets.

It quickly became clear that things were different this time around, however, as the now 29-year-old stormed to a 6-1 lead.

Despite Alcaraz’s best efforts in keeping the score-line respectable, he was unable to turn things around as he lost 1-6, 5-7, 4-6, exiting the tournament in shocking fashion.

Van de Zandschulp couldn’t capitalize on the victory as he fell to British star Jack Draper in the third round but had impressed at Flushing Meadows, securing his seventh career top-ten win.

The world number 84, proved to be a thorn in Alcaraz’s side once more in 2024, as the pair faced off in November’s Davis Cup finals.

Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers took on Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhoff in a deciding doubles tie, that had huge implications.

Not only was a place in the last four of the Davis Cup up for grabs, but the continuation of the legendary Rafael Nadal’s career also hung in the balance.

The Spanish pair fought hard, but came up short in straight sets, 6-7, 6-7, as Nadal retired from tennis after 22 years as a professional.

For the second time in 2024, Van de Zandschulp had beaten Alcaraz on the big occasion, something that he’ll be looking to do once more in Rotterdam next week.

Who else is playing in the Rotterdam Open first round?

Alcaraz and Van de Zandschulp may take the headlines, but there are several other mouth-watering clashes to look forward to in the first round.

• Lorenzo Sonego v [5] Holger Rune
• [SE] Aleksandar Kovacevic v Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
• David Goffin v [3] Alex de Minaur
• [WC] Stan Wawrinka v [2] Daniil Medvedev

Perhaps the pick of the bunch is the battle of two former Grand Slam champions, as Stan Wawrinka takes on Daniil Medvedev.

The pair have both won in Rotterdam before, and will be looking to truly kickstart their seasons after a tricky January.

Wawrinka lost to eventual quarter-finalist Lorenzo Sonego in the first round of the Australian Open, before falling to young French star Arthur Cazaux in his first match in Montpellier.

His opponent, Medvedev, lost to Learner Tien in Melbourne, as he was shocked in five sets by the young American qualifier.

The pair, along with Alcaraz and Van de Zandschulp will face off in the first round of the Rotterdam Open on Sunday, 2 February.

Related Topics