Barcelona Open Day One Round-up | Jack Draper fitness woes continue after retiring as Cameron Norrie defeats Stan Wawrinka in three-set thriller

Day one of the Barcelona Open brought a number of talented players onto the clay courts in Catalonia. Jack Draper was the headline act, but failed to make an impression after a disappointing match ended in retirement against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, with the Argentine prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 4-1.

Draper had not competed in a tennis tournament since the Miami Open, where he was defeated in his opening match against Reilly Opelka. Beforehand, he had defeated Novak Djokovic en route to losing against Daniil Medvedev in his title defence at Indian Wells. The signs then proved to be positive, but since then, the physical and fitness concerns have grown. He pulled out of the Monte-Carlo Masters, getting in the best shape possible for this tournament and the Madrid Open, where he reached the final of last year.

It started well for Draper. Etcheverry broke twice in the first set, but both times Draper responded. The latter saw him tie the set at 3-3 and was a huge turning point. He won four games on the spin, culminating the first set with a tidy hold to love.

His level would fall off a cliff from here. Unforced errors intertwined with a decline of energy on court as he struggled on the physical surface. It was not made easier that Etcheverry is a talented clay player. He won the Rio Open earlier this year, his maiden ATP title, and pushed world number two Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo Masters.

He would still need to be at it against the former world number four, and he fully capitalised on the situation. He dropped just three points on serve in the second set, breaking to love in a period where he won 11 points on the trot. The Brit had some tape wrapped around his knee ahead of the first set, but after going a double break down he opted to call it a day and gave Etcheverry free passageway through.

After that Draper loss, an opportunity loomed for Cameron Norrie to extend the gap as the British number one. He managed to do so, in the process marking the end of Stan Wawrinka’s progress in his final Barcelona Open in a thrilling 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6 battle.

It was the seventh seed who took the lead early on, breaking the Wawrinka serve while backing it up with holds either side to sail into a commanding 3-1 lead. Soon enough, he fell behind after a three-game burst by his opponent who stormed 4-3 in front. Norrie would have the last laugh, not letting the three-time Grand Slam champion anymore joy in the set as he nicked another break before utilising his third set point to sail in front.

Both players would rue early opportunities to break. That would be firmly off the British number one’s mind as he sprinted out into a 5-4 lead, breaking at a pivotal time. It would seem that Wawrinka’s time competing in the Barcelona Open was up, but that was not the case. Years of class and experience showed, and he was able to break back. It eventually went to a tiebreak where the Swiss confirmed a third set was on the cards.

Both players seemed to settle pretty quicky, but the tension soon rose after Wawrinka and Norrie failed to convert a brace of break points. It would be the two-time semi-finalist who regretted this the most. Norrie saved the best till last, breaking with his first match point to come out on top in a thrilling contest. Heartbreak for Wawrinka, who says farewell to another tournament in an opening round exit.

The first match of the day was a hugely entertaining one. The flamboyant Corentin Moutet put on a show as he defeated Ignacio Buse 6-4, 6-4. The Frenchman began the match in fine form, producing a number of delicate drop shots which left the 22-year-old hapless. He went 3-0 and two breaks ahead before Buse got into the match. After just one hold in the opening six games, Moutet was 4-2 ahead.

Four holds then followed, firmly suiting Moutet as it resulted in him winning the first set. It was Buse who managed to move ahead in the second set, but an ominous break to love from Moutet was the perfect response. He would then move up the gears to seal the win, clinching 12 of the remaining 13 points on offer.

An all-American clash saw qualifier Ethan Quinn come off the better. He took down the big serving Reilly Opelka 7-5, 7-6(7) to set up a second-round tie with Norrie. As you would expect in a match against Opelka, breaks and even break points were not common, or at least in the first set. This was until right at the end, where Quinn nicked the advantage on his third set point in a bitter blow for Opelka.

The 22-year-old was the one on top, creating in total five break point chances on the Opelka serve. While he took none of them, his opponent was no closer to making any headway on his, forcing a tiebreak. Opelka came back from a perilous 4-0 deficit, creating the first set point but fluffing his lines. The same could be said for Quinn on match point, but a second one came along almost instantly, and he was more clinical that time around.

Marco Trungelliti has been one of the stories of 2026. His final run in the Grand Prix Hassan II pushed him into the top 100 for the first time ever at the age of 36, making him the oldest debutant. He was looking to repeat that fate as a lucky loser over in Spain, but he was unable to find a way past Hamad Medjedovic, losing 7-5, 6-4.

Despite having the advantage early on, the former Next Gen ATP Finals champion stormed back into the clash, winning all but one game from 4-2 down as he sealed the first set. The Serbian continued to race away. He was comfortable on serve, meaning that just a single break in the third set was enough to put his name into the next round, where possibly the number three seed Alex de Minaur awaits.