World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz made an assured start to his campaign at the Barcelona Open, defeating Finland’s Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-3 to book his place in the second round on Tuesday.
Returning to action after finishing runner-up at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz looked composed and in control in his first match on home soil this season.
The Spaniard, who has a chance to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking with a deep run this week, overcame a brief scare when he required a medical timeout for an arm issue late in the opening set. However, he quickly regained rhythm and wrapped up the contest in one hour and 25 minutes.
He will next face Tomas Machac, who rallied past Sebastian Baez 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
“It feels great to be back and to get another win in front of my people in Barcelona; it means everything. This morning was my first practice here to adapt to the conditions. Different conditions in Monte-Carlo, but overall I am really happy with the way that I played,” Alcaraz said.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed notable success at the Barcelona Open, lifting the title in 2022 and 2023, and finishing runner-up last year to Holger Rune. He arrives this week chasing his third title of the season, having already won the Australian Open and an ATP 500 event in Doha.
With Sinner not in the draw this week, Alcaraz has a clear opportunity to strengthen his push for the top ranking as he looks to bounce back from his Monte-Carlo disappointment.
Elsewhere, second seed Lorenzo Musetti advanced with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Spanish wild card Martin Landaluce, setting up a clash with Corentin Moutet.
Third seed Alex de Minaur also progressed, overcoming Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner 7-6(7), 6-4. He will next face Hamad Medjedovic in the second round.