Alcaraz defeats De Minaur to lift Vienna title

VIENNA (Agencies): Carlos Alcaraz beat Alex de Minaur 6-1 6-4 to win the Vienna Open on Sunday, claiming his ​fourth title of the season and the 28th ‌of his career, and extending his ATP 500 winning streak to 26 matches. The 23-year-old Spaniard arrived in Vienna on the back ​of titles in Doha and Tokyo and completed a ​perfect 16-0 record at ATP 500 events in ⁠2026, capping another dominant week without dropping a set ​across his five matches. Alcaraz seized control from the opening ​stages, breaking De Minaur’s serve in the first game and quickly establishing a double-break advantage as the Australian struggled to contain the ​world number two’s intensity. The seven-time Grand Slam champion raced ​through the opening set 6-1, repeatedly punishing short balls and forcing errors ‌from ⁠De Minaur. Although the 27-year-old Australian put up greater resistance in the second set and kept pace for long spells, Alcaraz delivered a high-quality all-court performance to close out ​victory in 97 ​minutes and ⁠secure his seventh consecutive win over De Minaur. Alcaraz will head to next week’s Paris ​Masters brimming with confidence after his flying ​start to ⁠the European indoor swing, having already qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. De Minaur, meanwhile, will turn his ⁠attention ​to Paris as he continues his ​push to qualify for the ATP Finals for a third consecutive year.