Alcaraz Overcomes Injury Concern to Advance in Barcelona

Less than 48 hours after his Monte-Carlo Masters final loss to Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz made a successful start in Barcelona, overcoming Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 to reach the last 16. The Spaniard, needing a tournament win to reclaim the world No 1 spot from Sinner, received a medical timeout for a wrist issue but showed no signs of discomfort in his 85-minute victory. Alcaraz, who faces Tomas Machac next, expressed his happiness at winning in front of his home crowd and is focused on improving throughout the clay season. With 27 wins from his last 29 clay matches, Alcaraz is chasing his third title of the season and has the opportunity to reclaim the top ranking, with Sinner absent from the Barcelona draw.