Alcaraz routs De Minaur to win first Vienna title, perfect at ATP 500s

Carlos Alcaraz needed only two sets to end the week in Vienna the way he started it. The Spaniard beat Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 in Sunday's final of the Erste Bank Open. It was his first title in the Austrian capital and his fourth tour-level trophy of 2026. He did not drop a set across his five matches.

The win also finished off a perfect year at ATP 500 level. Alcaraz is 16-0 at the category in 2026, with titles in Doha, Tokyo and now Vienna, and his winning streak at 500 events stands at 26 matches. He now has 11 ATP 500 crowns. Only Roger Federer (16) and Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (15 each) have more.

A one-sided opening set

De Minaur arrived in form. He was unbeaten in ten indoor matches this year and had beaten World No. 1 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals. None of that showed early on. Alcaraz took the opener in 37 minutes, converting three of his four break points, while the Australian won only 13 of 27 points behind his first serve in that set.

De Minaur fought harder in the second set and held firm through the early games. Alcaraz kept pressing, though, and got the decisive break in the eighth game. Serving for the title at 5-4, he closed it out on his first match point with a forehand winner.

"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 afterwards, according to the ATP. He also pointed to the danger of De Minaur's flat, low ball and said he had worked to stay focused from start to finish.

Records stack up

It is the 28th title of Alcaraz's career and lifts his record in tour-level finals to 28-9. He is the third Spanish champion in Vienna, after Feliciano López in 2004 and David Ferrer in 2015. The world No. 3 also leads De Minaur 7-0 in their head-to-head, and he is now 15-0 against Australians in tour-level matches.

For De Minaur it was another painful final against the same opponent. He has now lost three title matches to Alcaraz: Queen's in 2023, Rotterdam in 2025 and Vienna in 2026. Even so, his week in Vienna produced his first win over Zverev outside team competition, and it changed his position in the season-ending race.

Ruud beats Jódar in Paris as Cobolli seals ATP Finals debut

One point in the Race to Turin

The final carried a lot of weight in the Race to Turin. A title would have taken De Minaur to 3,380 points, 171 clear of the chasing pack. Instead he stays on 3,210 points. That is ninth place, which is the last qualifying spot with Jannik Sinner out for the rest of the season, and it is just one point ahead of Spain's Rafael Jódar.

That sets up a straight duel at the Rolex Paris Masters, which starts on Monday. Both De Minaur and Jódar have first-round byes. The Australian goes in defending a one-point lead, and Jódar can start chipping away at it in his very first match.

Alcaraz has already qualified for Turin and will also start in the second round in Paris. His first opponent will be either Jiří Lehečka or Alex Michelsen.