Carlos Alcaraz Rebounds in Vienna for Fourth Title of 2026

A postponed exhibition in Riyadh opened Alcaraz’s schedule and allowed him to play in Vienna last week. In a last-minute turn of events, the Spaniard took home his fourth ATP title of the season despite missing four months with a wrist injury. Here’s how the week unfolded for Alcaraz and what it means as the season enters its closing stretch.

Alcaraz Defeats de Minaur in Vienna Open Final

Carlos Alcaraz beat Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 in the Vienna final on Sunday, winning his first title at the Erste Bank Open and the 28th of his career. Alcaraz accepted a wildcard for the event just weeks before, following the postponement of the Six Kings Slam that left his schedule open. His last showing was an unexpected loss to Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters, which he was looking to redeem himself from in Vienna.

At the Erste Bank Open, the Spanish player started the tournament about as well as he could have, and didn’t lose a set all week. In the final, he raced through the opening set, repeatedly punishing short balls and forcing errors from de Minaur. In the second, De Minaur put up slightly more resistance but still was no match for Alcaraz, who looked to be in peak form.

De Minaur has now lost seven consecutive matches against Alcaraz and is yet to beat him on tour. Despite the disappointing result, de Minaur kept it light when praising Alcaraz post-match: “Let me start with Carlitos, well done to you, to your team, it’s great to have you back on Tour… I will say one thing though: it is very annoying to play against you,” he joked.

A Last-Minute Addition

Alcaraz’s addition to the Vienna draw was only possible because of a last-minute schedule change. Alcaraz had initially planned to participate in the Six King Slam last week, but Vienna organizers offered him a wild card after the exhibition in Riyadh was postponed until late December.

The Spaniard quickly accepted and wasted no time proving his decision was the right one. He didn’t lose a single set in five matches, taking down Karen Khachanov, Nikoloz Basilashvili, and Tommy Paul on his way to the semifinal, where he beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6(2). Alcaraz then topped it all off with another title over de Minaur in the final.

Alcaraz’s Perfect Year at ATP 500 Events

Vienna was Alcaraz’s fourth title of 2026, following victories at the Australian Open, in Doha, and in Tokyo, giving him a 16-0 record at ATP 500 events this year. He is the third Spaniard to win the Erste Bank Open, after Feliciano Lopez in 2004 and David Ferrer in 2015. Alcaraz made his debut in Vienna as an 18-year-old in 2021, when he reached the semifinals, and claimed the title this season in just his second appearance at the tournament.

Alcaraz now looks forward to the Paris Masters, where he is the second seed once again. He’s already qualified for the ATP Finals, comfortably sitting in the No. 3 spot, though exact seeding can still shift based on the results in Paris. For Alex de Minaur, his run to the Vienna final keeps him in contention for the last effective qualifying spot in Turin, with a similarly quick turnaround for Paris this week.

Add us as a preferred source on Google