Carlos Alcaraz will face Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open final on Sunday (April 20, 2025). He has a 2-1 head-to-head record against the Dane, most recently defeating him at the 2023 Wimbledon Championship.
Alcaraz is among the top three players on tour. He’s made an amazing start to the season by garnering 24 wins from 28 matches, including title-winning runs at the Rotterdam Open and the Monte-Carlo Masters. He also reached the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open before losing to Jack Draper in three sets.
The Spaniard started his campaign in Barcelona by breezing past Laslo Djere and Alex de Minaur in the initial few rounds. He then overpowered in-form Frenchman Arthur Fils in the semifinals 6-2, 6-4. Alcaraz is on a nine-match winning streak at the moment.
Meanwhile, Holger Rune is among the most talented players on tour. The Dane has made a promising start to the season by chalking up 15 wins from 24 matches, including a runner-up finish in the BNP Paribas Open. He also made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open but was beaten by Jannik Sinner in four sets.
The 21-year-old arrived in Barcelona after being eliminated in the second round of the Monte Carlo tournament. He defeated Sebastian Baez and Casper Ruud to advance to the semifinals, where he faced Karen Khachanov. Rune defeated Russian Khachanov in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Here are the three reasons why:
First, Alcaraz’s splendid form on clay this month. The Spaniard is yet to lose a match since the start of the clay court swing and has only dropped three sets in his last nine matches so far.
Second, the Spaniard’s head-to-head record against Rune. The two have never met each other on clay, but Alcaraz holds a 2-1 advantage over his opposite number.
Third, Alcaraz has strong backing from his home audience. The top seed is a popular figure in Barcelona, and Spanish fans will be rooting for him to go the distance this season.
The Barcelona Open final will begin at 4:00 PM local time (10 AM ET).
