Top tennis journalist approves Holger Rune’s comments on getting inspired by Novak Djokovic to dethrone Carlos Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open final

Holger Rune became only the second player after Novak Djokovic to beat Carlos Alcaraz on clay since May last year.

Top tennis journalist approves Holger Rune’s comments on getting inspired by Novak Djokovic to dethrone Carlos Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open final

Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz, The Tennis Letter)

Holger Rune said he followed Novak Djokovic’s example to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open final. He won 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 to lift the trophy for the first time. It was a big win for the Danish star against the top seed.

Tennis journalist Benoit Maylin praised Rune’s comments after the match. Rune played with great control and confidence. He became just the second player to beat Alcaraz in his last 23 matches on clay.

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Easy to say. Very difficult to do. Especially against Alcaraz. And yet, the Dane played like Novak, unstoppable and decisive on the important points.

Benoit Maylin said on X

Alcaraz was aiming for a third Barcelona title in four years. He came into the final after winning the Monte Carlo Masters and was on a nine-match winning streak on clay. But Rune ended that run in front of the home crowd.

The Spaniard also had some trouble with a physical issue in the second set. His last loss on clay before this was to Djokovic in the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Carlos Alcaraz set to undergo MRI before Madrid Open

Alcaraz’s chances of playing in the Madrid Masters depend on the results of a scan. He struggled with an injury during his Barcelona Open final loss to Holger Rune. The problem appeared to affect him more in the second set of the match.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/We Are Tennis)

The young Spaniard was aiming for a third title in Barcelona. He came into the tournament full of confidence after his win in Monte Carlo. But things didn’t go his way in the final, where he lost 7-6(6), 6-2.

The defeat was costly in more ways than one. With Alexander Zverev winning the BMW Open in Munich on his 28th birthday, Alcaraz fell to World No. 3 in the rankings. Zverev moves ahead of him into the No. 2 spot.

Alcaraz began the match strongly, breaking Rune’s serve early. But the Danish player found his rhythm and played one of his best matches. He ended a 13-match losing streak against top-five players and won his first ATP 500 title.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in the same draw at Madrid Open

The men’s singles draw for the Madrid Open is out, and a big semi-final clash could be on the cards. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are in the same half, meaning they may meet in the last four. The two last played in Madrid in 2022, where Alcaraz won a tight three-set match on his way to the title.

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via ATP/X)

Alcaraz comes into the tournament with some injury concerns. He had back pain during his final loss to Holger Rune in Barcelona. A scan will reveal more, but his first-round bye in Madrid could help. If he plays, he will start against either Zizou Bergs or Yoshihito Nishioka, with Jiri Lehecka likely waiting in round three.

The Spaniard could face Grigor Dimitrov in round four, and then a potential quarter-final with Alex de Minaur. That would be a repeat of their Barcelona clash. De Minaur’s section also includes Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Musetti, so surprises are possible.

Djokovic, the fourth seed, starts against either a qualifier or Matteo Arnaldi. He is likely to face Sebastian Baez in round three, then Frances Tiafoe in round four. A quarter-final against fifth seed Jack Draper could follow. At the top of the draw sits Alexander Zverev, the new world No 2 after his win in Munich.