CNN
 — 

Carlos Alcaraz can now add an indoor title to his ever-growing tennis resumé.

The 21-year-old defeated Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the final of the Rotterdam Open on Sunday, claiming a first indoor trophy of his career alongside titles on grass, clay and hardcourt.

The victory made Alcaraz the first Spanish champion in the tournament’s 52-year history, while he also surpassed compatriot and coach Juan Carlos Ferrero with his 17th ATP Tour title.

“I knew that I (could) play really good tennis on indoor courts, it was just about time,” Alcaraz said, per the ATP. “I had not too much experience playing on indoor courts.

“There are a lot of players who play better tennis on indoor courts than me, but I am improving and it’s a really important week.”

Arriving in the Netherlands with a cold, Alcaraz wore a strip across his nose throughout the tournament to help with his breathing. He had to come through three-set matches on three separate occasions, including a tense victory over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals.

Against de Minaur, who rose to No. 6 in the world rankings after the match, Alcaraz claimed an early break of serve before dropping his own service game to love at 4-3. Unfazed, he hit back immediately with a superb passing shot and soon wrapped up the first set when de Minaur netted a return.

The Australian responded strongly, however, racing into a 3-0 lead at the start of the second set and leveling the match when Alcaraz failed to retrieve a backhand.

That paved the way for an intriguing conclusion to the contest. With both players pushing for a breakthrough, it was Alcaraz who took control of the deciding set as de Minaur drilled an approach shot wide.

Another break of serve soon after completed the victory for the world No. 3 in an hour and 54 minutes, as he became the first player in 21 years to win the tournament on his debut.

In his on-court interview, Alcaraz said that he hadn’t been 100% at the start of the week because of the cold, but felt “better and better” as the days went by.

De Minaur, despite not dropping a set in Rotterdam prior to facing Alcaraz, suffered a second consecutive defeat in the final of the tournament after losing to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner last year.