Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, poses with the trophy after winning the final Godo tennis tournament against Stefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece, in Barcelona, Spain.
Carlos Alcaraz, world number two, secured his third ATP Tour title of the year by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4, winning the Barcelona Open on April 23, and retaining his title for a second consecutive year. Despite being plagued by injuries early in the season and losing to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of his last tournament, the Miami Open, Alcaraz did not lose a set en route to his victory in Barcelona this year.
Alcaraz effortlessly defeated his rival, world number five and second seed Tsitsipas, who has now lost four times in a row against the Spaniard. Alcaraz, who became the youngest year-end world number one since the inception of ATP rankings in December 2020, played nearly perfectly on Sunday, winning the match in less than 80 minutes.
Although Tsitsipas broke Alcaraz in the third game, the Spaniard rebounded and seized control of the match by breaking Tsitsipas once again before finishing the first set in under 40 minutes.
In the second set, Alcaraz became even more aggressive and broke Tsitsipas’s serve in the fifth game. He didn’t provide his opponent with an opportunity to retaliate, closing out the match with a powerful forehand before celebrating with the home fans.
The 19-year-old Spaniard’s preparation for the French Open continues with the Madrid Masters, which begins next Thursday.
“Yesterday, before going to sleep, I was so tense and woke up today very nervous,” Alcaraz told TVE. “However, the warm-up helped me to relax, and I thought I should let my body flow and not be tight.” “I wanted to forget about everything else and just be me on the court. I am still surprised to receive such a warm welcome here in my country, as a 19-year-old kid I could not imagine that I would experience what I’m living wherever I go,” he added.