(Barcelona) Carlos Alcaraz became the first player since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal to successfully defend his title at the Barcelona Tennis Open on Sunday following a straight-set 6-3, 6-4 victory against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
For Alcaraz, who is only 19 years old, this is a third title in 2023 and the ninth of his career.
Alcaraz ended the match on center court against Rafael Nadal with a forehand winner, for his fifth straight win in two sets at this year’s tournament.
Against the fifth player in the world, Alcaraz managed 26 winners and committed only seven unforced errors.
Before the final duel on Sunday, Alcaraz, the second player in the world and the first seed, had never managed to win the same tournament two years in a row. He will try to repeat this feat next week at the Madrid Open.
Alcaraz are 23-2 overall this year, and their victory on Sunday adds to their triumphs in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells earlier in 2023. It was their fourth final in five tournaments since the launch of the season.
Alcaraz and Tsitsipas traded breaks of service early in the opening set, but the Spaniard eventually took control of the game to claim a fourth win in as many games against the Greek.
Last year, Alcaraz also defeated Tsitsipas at the Barcelona Open, this time in the quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas was hoping to win the Barcelona Open for the first time in his career, having suffered defeats at the hands of Nadal in the 2018 and 2021 finals. He was also on the hunt for a first title in 2023 and the 10e of her career.
Nadal was the last player to win the Barcelona Open consecutively, scoring three triumphs in a row between 2016 and 2018.