Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Hubert Hurkacz to reach his first indoor hard court final at the Rotterdam Open.
Alcaraz made a schedule change this year, after electing to play in Rotterdam instead of heading to South America.
However, the Spaniard has had to overcome some obstacles at the indoor hard court tournament, with Alcaraz sporting a nose strip due to a recent health issue that he has struggled with.
Another issue on both tours has been related to elbow, shoulder and wrist injuries, and Alcaraz has called for changes to be made to prevent this from happening so frequently.
Alcaraz struggled in Rotterdam at the start of the event, but has since grown into the tournament to reach his final on debut.
Fans react to Carlos Alcaraz shot against Hubert Hurkacz at Rotterdam Open
Alcaraz has been predicted for huge success throughout his young career, and he showcased some of that hype during his semi-final victory over Hurkacz.
This was particularly highlighted by a point in the latter stages of the second set, where Alcaraz was forced to cover all areas of the court.
After Hurkacz hit a drop volley, Alcaraz charged towards the net before hitting an impressive passing shot winner.
The crowd were on their feet after this point, as Alcaraz put his finger to his ear to take in their applause.
Not only were the spectators inside the Rotterdam arena reacting to the point, but also those watching from home as fans praised Alcaraz on social media.
Many fans claimed that this shot made them believe that Alcaraz is not real, with the world number three also being compared to an alien.
One said on X (formerly known as Twitter), “He just turned on his alien mode that hasn’t been used for a while…”
Another added, “Carlos Alcaraz isn’t real!!”
An additional person said, “That is absolutely unreal.”
This was followed up by, “He’s actually so unbelievably talented, it’s almost unreal.”
Another social media user put themself in Hurkacz’s position, questioning what else the Polish player could have done to win that point, Even Hurkacz is like ‘What do I need to do! I’ve done everything!'”
Alcaraz has also been compared to compatriot Rafael Nadal, who retired from tennis last year at the Davis Cup Finals and reached the Rotterdam Open final in 2009.
They said, “My favorite showman in sports, incredibly happy I can go from Nadal (my goat) to Carlos for two straight generations of tennis.”
A further person added, “Just when you thought all the breathtaking tennis players had retired – or were about to, @carlosalcaraz comes along and consistently brings this magic.”
What Carlos Alcaraz said about the shot he hit against Hubert Hurkacz
Despite Alcaraz winning this point, he actually lost this set and was forced to win the semi-final against Hurkacz in three sets.
The 21-year-old has still reacted to this point on social media with two emojis, including a fire emoji as he praised his own ability.
Alcaraz will now look to win his first indoor hard court title as he plays Alex de Minaur in the final.
| Round | Result |
| First Round | Alcaraz beat Botic van de Zandschulp, 7-6(3) 3-6 6-1 |
| Second Round | Alcaraz beat Andrea Vavassori, 6-2 6-1 |
| Quarter-final | Alcaraz beat Pedro Martinez, 6-2 6-1 |
| Semi-final | Alcaraz beat Hubert Hurkacz (8), 6-4 6(5)-7 6-3 |
He will also look to become the first Spanish singles champion in Rotterdam, with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero also losing in the final back in 2004.
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