Carlos Alcaraz beat Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 to win the Vienna Open on Sunday, defeating his opponent for the seventh time in as many meetings. The seven-time Grand Slam winner has beaten the Australian on grass and clay as well as on indoor and outdoor hard courts.
A Trademark Finish
Alcaraz sealed the victory with flair. He drew De Minaur to the net with a sliced backhand drop shot. De Minaur retrieved it, but Alcaraz lobbed him with a backhand. After the Australian volleyed that shot back near the net, Alcaraz clipped a cross-court forehand that landed just in.
The second-seeded Spaniard looked jubilant and broke into a broad smile after clinching his fourth title this year. That haul includes the Australian Open, which completed a career Grand Slam for him. It was also his 28th title overall.
Alcaraz Reflects on the Win
“I tried to be aggressive and show him that if he wants to win, he has to play better, more aggressive, more solid, and be smarter than me,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just really happy that at the end I found my way, played great. Obviously, it has been a really emotional and amazing week for me.”
Alcaraz is returning to full fitness after being hampered by injury and fatigue this season.
De Minaur Falls Short
The fifth-seeded De Minaur was looking for his second title of the year. He reached the final of the ATP 500 event with a semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, who moves to the top of the rankings on Monday. Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev in the other semifinal.