Alcaraz Overcomes Injury Scare to Advance in Barcelona

Carlos Alcaraz made a successful start to his Barcelona Open campaign, defeating Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2, just 48 hours after his Monte-Carlo Masters final loss to Jannik Sinner. The Spanish player, who needs to win the tournament to reclaim the world No 1 spot, received a medical timeout for a wrist issue but showed no signs of discomfort during his 85-minute win. Alcaraz, who faces Tomas Machac next, expressed his happiness at playing in front of his home crowd and adapting to the different conditions in Barcelona. With 27 wins in his last 29 clay-court matches, Alcaraz is chasing his third title of the season. He emphasized that steady improvement during the clay season is his top priority, but the opportunity to quickly reclaim the world No 1 ranking provides additional motivation. The two-time Barcelona champion benefits from the absence of Sinner in the draw and is focused on staying on his current path, with events in Madrid and Rome to follow before his French Open title defense.