Alcaraz begins clay prep
Carlos Alcaraz has started clay‑court practice sessions ahead of the Barcelona Open, posting on‑court clips that excited followers and signaled tournament readiness (x.com). Tournament build‑up coverage is noting his early work as a sign he plans to focus on the clay swing in the coming weeks (x.com).
Carlos Alcaraz has begun his Barcelona Open campaign on home clay, returning to competition on Tuesday, April 14, after last week’s Monte-Carlo final. (atptour.com) The 22-year-old Spaniard is the top seed at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona, which runs from April 13 to April 19 at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899. He is scheduled to play qualifier Otto Virtanen in the first round on Pista Rafa Nadal, not before 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday. (barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com) (atptour.com) Barcelona is Alcaraz’s first tournament in Spain since he finished runner-up there in 2025, when Holger Rune beat him 7-6(6), 6-2 in the final. The tournament’s official preview lists Alcaraz as a two-time champion, with titles in 2022 and 2023, and an overall 14-2 record at the event. (barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com) (atptour.com) The week carries ranking stakes as well as local attention. The ATP rankings published this week show Jannik Sinner at No. 1 with 13,350 points and Alcaraz at No. 2 with 13,240 after their Monte-Carlo final. (atptour.com 1) (atptour.com 2) Barcelona is one of the main stops in the European clay swing, the stretch of red-dirt tournaments that leads into Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros. The 32-player singles draw in 2026 includes Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, and several young Spanish players. (olympics.com) (barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com) Alcaraz’s section is not especially light. The ATP’s draw preview says that if he beats Virtanen, he would next face either Sebastian Baez or Tomas Machac, with Rublev seeded as a possible quarterfinal opponent and De Minaur projected in the semifinals. (atptour.com) The tournament remains one of Spain’s most decorated men’s events. Barcelona Open organizers list Rafael Nadal as the record singles champion with 12 titles, and the main court now carries his name. (barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com) (olympics.com) For Alcaraz, the immediate task is simpler than the backdrop around it: win his opener, settle onto clay in Barcelona, and start another run at a title he has already lifted twice. (atptour.com)
