Alcaraz Overcomes Injury Scare to Advance in Barcelona

Less than 48 hours after his Monte-Carlo Masters final loss to Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz made a triumphant start in Barcelona, defeating Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 to reach the last 16. The Spaniard, seeking to reclaim the world No 1 spot from Sinner by winning the tournament, showed no signs of distress from a wrist issue that prompted a medical timeout at the end of the first set. Alcaraz expressed his delight at returning home and securing another win in front of his home crowd, stating, "It feels great to be back and to get another win in front of my people in Barcelona, it means everything." He faces Czech Tomas Machac on Thursday, aiming for his third title of the season after the Australian Open and ATP 500 event in Doha. Alcaraz cited the opportunity to quickly regain the world No 1 ranking as additional motivation but emphasized steady improvement during the clay season as his top priority. With the absence of Jannik Sinner in the draw, Alcaraz's chances of capturing the trophy on familiar territory are boosted. Alcaraz joked about not missing Sinner, acknowledging the rivalry between them provides extra motivation but remains focused on improvement and his full schedule on clay this season.