Sinner was the defending champion at the tournament but withdrew at the last minute. The Spaniard went on to win the first indoor title of his career.
Alcaraz also made a concerning confession as he addressed his doubts and discomfort during the championship match.
Alcaraz picked up the 17th title of his young career on Sunday. After struggling on indoor hard courts, he finally broke his duck and earned his first trophy on the surface.
The world No. 3 survived a rollercoaster final, beating Alex de Minaur 6-4 3-6 6-2. De Minaur had also finished as the runner-up at last year’s event, losing to Sinner.
The world No. 1 was the reigning champion in Rotterdam but withdrew shortly after his recent Australian Open victory, citing his need to rest following his run Down Under.
It opened the door for Alcaraz to be the top seed at the tournament, avoiding the need to get through Sinner to lift the title. Asked whether he missed his the Italian, Alcaraz laughed and replied: “Not really.”
Jannik Sinner won the Rotterdam Open in 2024 but pulled out of this year's event (Image: Getty) Stay up-to-date with the latest Tennis news Join us on WhatsApp
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The four-time Grand Slam champion knew it was a loss for the tournament not to have Sinner competing. But he had a cheeky message for his rival after winning.
“He had his reasons for withdrawing, I understand that. I think having him here would have been great for the tournament. However, I have the trophy in my hand, and I won’t say I missed him,” Alcaraz smiled.
It was an important week for Alcaraz. Not only did he gain confidence on the indoor surface, he also forced himself out of tough spots in matches and refused to let his concentration wane.
But Alcaraz admitted he’d been doubting himself in matches and struggled to play aggressively. He added: “Sometimes I have doubts about what I have to do.
“The feelings can change during the match. For example, today I felt great, the first set, the second set, even if I lost.
“But in the first set I felt a little bit uncomfortable playing aggressively. That's why I was a little bit stiff. But I feel like I always made the right choices.”
Alcaraz will now head to the Qatar Open in Doha, which has been upgraded to an ATP 500 event. He will get to compete on an outdoor hard court again, but the Spaniard’s Rotterdam result has given him plenty of belief for the full indoor swing at the end of the season.
“I knew I would play great indoor tennis, it was time. I didn't have much experience indoors and many people play better than me indoors,” he said.