Preview: Carlos Alcaraz to face Stefanos Tsitsipas with second Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell title in sights
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz is looking for his second consecutive Barcelona Open today.
The winner of last year's US Open, he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the final of the Torneo Conde de Godó, an expert on clay that, if he doesn't lose his concentration as he sometimes does, should make things very difficult for him.
The first thing to say, and this is not just another fact, is that the Murcian and the Greek have met on three occasions with three wins for Alcaraz. First with an epic victory at the US Open in 2021, then at the Miami Masters 1000 in 2022 and, finally, precisely at the Barcelona Open last year, when Carlitos won a tough match that went to the third set (6-4/5-7/6-2).
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After a disappointing Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas has rediscovered his best tennis this week in Barcelona and arrives with confidence to make things difficult for an Alcaraz who suffered against Davidovich in the last 16, but had no resistance to Evans in the quarter-finals.
The wind could be key
The strong gusts of wind that the players are experiencing this week at the Godó are conditioning the matches and the same is expected to happen in the final. Both the Alcaraz-Davidovich quarter-final and the Tsitsipas-Musetti semi-final have been anarchic matches largely due to the aforementioned wind. Alcaraz is the favourite, but it would not be a surprise if the Greek won. It's sure to be a great final.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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