The information was confirmed by the ABN AMRO Open organizers on February 2. Accordingly, Alcaraz voluntarily withdrew because he had not reached optimal fitness after two consecutive weeks of competing at the Australian Open 2026. The Grand Slam champion believes that rest is necessary before entering the next stage of the season.
At this year's Australian Open, Alcaraz made a strong impression when defeating Novak Djokovic in a 4-set final, thereby winning her 7th Grand Slam title in her career. This victory also helped the player born in 2003 become the youngest person in history to complete a collection of Grand Slam titles in all 4 courts.
Not being present in Rotterdam means Alcaraz will not be able to defend the ATP 500 title he won here last season. In 2025, the Spanish player once overcame Alex de Minaur in the final to win the championship, thereby having his first indoor hard court title. With this year's withdrawal decision, Alcaraz will be deducted 500 points on the ATP rankings.
ABN AMRO Open 2026 is scheduled to kick off on February 9th, gathering many top players such as Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur. Despite the absence of the defending champion, the tournament is still highly appreciated for its professional quality and competitiveness.
In the context that most top players are on break after the Australian Open, some ATP 250 indoor tournaments in Europe, including the Open Occitanie in Montpellier (France), will become the focus of men's tennis next week.
