Tennis

Barcelona Open Final Preview: Carlos Alcaraz Vs. Holger Rune

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By
wendioliveros
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wendioliveros Sports Editor

Wendi Oliveros is a diehard tennis fan that is known to set her clock at ridiculous hours to watch live action especially during the Australian Open. She is known for indulging in strawberries and cream during Wimbledon and has watched the US Open live several times.

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Sports Editor

Published19 Apr 2025

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Easter Sunday’s Barcelona Open final features a pair of 21-year-old tennis stars who have played well this week:  Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.

Alcaraz considers the Barcelona Open his home tournament, and he will have tremendous crowd as he attempts to lift the trophy for the third time.  He was the 2022 and 2023 champion.  Arthur Fils in a surprising straight-set semifinal after the two battled in a three-set thriller last week at the Monte-Carlo Masters.  Alcaraz won the Monte-Carlo Masters last week and is now vying for his 19th career ATP title.

Rune has never been to the Barcelona Open final.  He defeated defending champion Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals and Karen Khachanov in the semifinals. Rune is vying for his fifth career ATP title.

Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune Head-to-Head

Alcaraz leads their head-to-head matchup, 2-1. Their last meeting was at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, which Alcaraz won.  The two players have never played an ATP clay court match.

If both are playing their top games, this will be an entertaining match that could go either way.

Barcelona Open Celebration

Among the best parts of the European clay court season are the spirited celebrations between the champion and the ballkids.  Alcaraz had a fun moment after his win at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The ballkids traditionally cheer on the newly crowned champion and jump into the pool with him at the Barcelona Open.  Of course, they would prefer to celebrate with a home-grown Spanish champion since this tournament is steeped in a tradition of Spanish champions, most notably Rafael Nadal.  Nadal has the center court named after him, and he has won the tournament 12 times.

Both Alcaraz and Rune want to enjoy this moment on Sunday afternoon.  Which one wins the match?