Carlos Alcaraz’s quest to mirror Rafael Nadal’s dominance at the Barcelona Open hit a stumbling block as the Spaniard lost the final to Holger Rune.

Holger Rune physically outlasted Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP 500 Barcelona Open in Spain to win his first title since 2023, with a victory that sees him return to the top 10 of the rankings. Alcaraz, who was top seed and had eased through to the final after winning the Monte Carlo Masters the previous weekend,

Carlos Alcaraz's clay season was off to a fiery start as he won nine matches in a row, including the title at Monte Carlo. However, Holger Rune, Alcaraz's longtime friend and opponent, beat Alcaraz in a two-set match in the Barcelona Open final on Sunday to end the Spaniard's successful run.