Carlos Alcaraz defeated Otto Virtanen, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the Barcelona Open.
But it wasn’t as easy as the scoreline would suggest…
Alcaraz was tested during the first set, and he required a medical time-out for his wrist.
Should Carlos Alcaraz hire another coach after his recent results?
If so, who should he hire? 🤔
Refusing to be beaten, Alcaraz upped his level in the second set, securing the win and his place in round two.
Carlos Alcaraz says he played ‘great tennis’ in first-round win at the Barcelona Open
During his post-match interview, Alcaraz delivered his verdict on his performance.
“It feels great to be back, to get another win in Barcelona, in front of my people, my everything!” he said.
“I missed playing in Barcelona. I just tried to adapt my game as good as I could.
“It was not easy, this morning was my first practice here, [and] the conditions are different from Monte Carlo…
Carlos Alcaraz’s busy schedule
| Date | Match | Opponent | Result | Score |
| April 7 | Monte Carlo Masters – 2R | Sebastian Baez | WIN | 6-1, 6-3 |
| April 9 | Monte Carlo Masters – 3R | Tomas Martin Etcheverry | WIN | 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 |
| April 10 | Monte Carlo Masters – QF | Alexander Bublik | WIN | 6-3, 6-0 |
| April 11 | Monte Carlo Masters – SF | Valentin Vacherot | WIN | 6-4, 6-4 |
| April 12 | Monte Carlo Masters – F | Jannik Sinner | LOSS | 6-7, 3-6 |
| April 14 | Barcelona Open – 1R | Otto Virtanen | WIN | 6-4, 6-2 |
| April 15 | Barcelona Open – 2R | Tomas Machac | – | – |
“Overall, really happy with the way that I played.
“The way that I solved the problems that I had in the first set.
“Ended up playing great tennis, hopefully in the next round, feeling a little bit better, and let’s see how it is going to be.”
Alcaraz was far from his best in the first set, allowing the Finnish qualifier several chances to break his serve.
For a moment, it looked like an upset was brewing when Alcaraz received medical attention at 5-4.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Otto Virtanen – Match stats
| Stats | Carlos Alcaraz | Otto Virtanen |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double faults | 3 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 67% | 58% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 64% | 66% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 63% | 35% |
| Break points | 4/7 | 1/6 |
But as he so often does, Alcaraz found a way, booking his place in the next round.
The Spaniard didn’t mention his injury during the interview, which suggests the problem isn’t severe.
Who will win the Barcelona Open? 🤔
Only time will tell if the wrist will hold up when he returns to face Tomas Machac on Wednesday, April 15.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Tomas Machac – The story so far
Alcaraz and Machac have met twice before.
They played their first match at the 2024 Davis Cup.
There, Alcaraz lost a tight first set, 6-7 [3-7] before fighting back to take the second 6-1.
Machac then retired from the match, as Alcaraz took a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head.
The Czech star didn’t have to wait long for a rematch, though, as they met for a second time later that year.
Battling it out for a place in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, Machac and Alcaraz put on a show for the Chinese fans.
Again, Machac won the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 [7-5], but didn’t crumble like he did at the Davis Cup.
Machac maintained his level, taking the second set 6-4, picking up one of the biggest wins of his professional career.
Alcaraz will be keen to re-take the lead in their head-to-head when they resume their rivalry in Barcelona.
And the Spaniard knows there is more than just a title on the line at home this week…
If Alcaraz can win the Barcelona Open, he will return to world number one, having surrendered the ranking to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo.
Live ATP rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,350 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 12,960 |
ATP rankings if Carlos Alcaraz wins in Barcelona
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 13,410 |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 13,350 |
With Alcaraz (66 weeks at number one) now trailing Sinner (67 weeks at number one) by one week in the all-time list, he will be determined to make the most of his opponent’s week off.
It remains to be seen if Alcaraz can go all the way in Barcelona, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action!
