Carlos Alcaraz said he was “really happy” after the final of the Barcelona Open despite his shock defeat to Holger Rune. The top seed was favourite to win the title for a third time after his successes in 2022 and 2023, but went down 7-6 6-2 against the Norwegian.
The Spaniard was plagued by an injury issue though. Twice during the match, he took treatment on his upper right leg and appeared hampered during rallies. However, afterwards, he refused to use any fitness issue as an excuse, instead opting to praise Rune for his win.
“Congratulations Holger on an amazing week,” he said in his post-match interview. “Coming from Monte-Carlo, you had to retire. Coming here and showing a great effort to make the people enjoy watching tennis, I appreciate that.
“We’ve been seeing each other since (we were) 12 years old, time flies. So I’m just really happy to see us in this position, and how far we’ve come together.”
In a classy touch, he then concluded his talk by looking directly at Rune and saying: “So I just want to say congratulations and keep going.”
For his part, Rune, 21, didn’t try and conceal his delight afterwards. The world No.13 fought back from a break down in the first set before going on to win his first ATP 500 title.
“It means the world, it was such a great match,” he said. “In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed, because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis.I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm.
“After he broke me, I got more into the match and played my tennis. The first set was a big battle, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. I’m so proud of myself.”
