Preview and Schedule Barcelona Open: Alcaraz riding momentum, Ruud and Tsitsipas seek redemption

Everything is set for the start of the traditional ATP 500 Barcelona Open, featuring 10 top-20 players in the draw — four of whom are currently ranked inside the top 10. The tournament serves as a key stop between the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open, headlined by Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Casper Ruud.

2024 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas is also among the favourites, in a tournament packed with big names including Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune and Arthur Fils.

The clear favourite is Carlos Alcaraz, newly ranked World No. 2 and fresh off his Monte-Carlo Masters win — his 6th Masters 1000 title and 3rd on clay. He already claimed the Barcelona title in both 2022 and 2023, though he had to withdraw in 2024 due to injury. Alcaraz comes in with a 10-match winning streak at the Barcelona Open and will open against qualifier Ethan Quinn (No. 126).

The second seed is defending champion Casper Ruud, was the fourth seed, buwho was knocked out in the Round of 16 in Monte-Carlo by Alexei Popyrin. Ruud, who and a finalist last year, needs a deep run here to remain in the top 10. He will debut against Colombian clay-court specialist Daniel Elahi Galán and could face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the second round.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is also among the top contenders. He reached the final in Barcelona a year ago and has been a finalist there four times, though the title still eludes him: losses in 2018 and 2021 to Rafael Nadal, 2023 to Carlos Alcaraz, and 2024 to Ruud. After being upset in the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals by Lorenzo Musetti — where he was the defending champion — the Greek former No. 3 comes into Barcelona in need of a strong result.

Alex de Minaur has also earned his place among the top candidates. The Australian reached the semi-finals this week in Monte-Carlo, falling to Musetti. He has shown significant improvement on clay courts in 2024 and confirmed it in Monaco. Slowly but surely, he is proving to be a consistent performer even on slower surfaces.

Arthur Fils (7th seed) has made a remarkable rise over the past year, and recent weeks have shown he’s nearly ready for the next big leap. He has reached the quarter-finals in all three Masters 1000 tournaments played this season and came very close to defeating Alcaraz in Monte-Carlo. Small adjustments in key moments could be the difference between a deep run and a potential title challenge.

Holger Rune (6th seed) enters Barcelona low on confidence, following two first-round exits in Miami and Monte-Carlo. This is surprising, considering he reached the final in Indian Wells just a month ago. Still, he has two career titles on clay and finals appearances in Monte-Carlo and Rome (2023), and has previously beaten all the top contenders in the draw.

Andrey Rublev, the 4th seed, may not be at his most convincing lately, but he always deserves consideration on clay. Just last year, he arrived in Madrid on a losing streak and ended up lifting his second Masters 1000 title. In Barcelona, he’s one of the few names capable of pulling off a surprise.

The clay season always provides opportunities for surface specialists to shine and upset higher-ranked opponents. This week, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina did just that with two top-15 wins (including Indian Wells champion Jack Draper), reaching the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo despite being unseeded. He will debut against Stan Wawrinka in one of the blockbuster first-round matches and could face Rublev in a potential second round. It's a tough draw for the Spaniard, but he comes in riding a wave of confidence.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard remains a mystery on clay, especially regarding consistency. In 2024, he claimed his first title at the Lyon Open, defeating Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the final. However, he has since lost his next three matches on clay, including a first-round exit last week in Monte-Carlo. While his serve is less effective on slower surfaces, it remains one of the most dominant on Tour, making him an opponent no one wants to face — regardless of the surface.