Carlos Alcaraz is the form player in men’s tennis after he backed up his thrilling win in last week’s Monte Carlo Masters with a run to the Barcelona Open final – but he might still be about to lose the world No 2 ranking.
Alcaraz extended his winning run at the Barcelona Open to a hugely impressive 14 matches with a comfortable victory over Arthur Fils in the semi-finals in front an enthusiastic Barcelona crowd.
This was a much more comprehensive win than Alcaraz served up against Fils in a classic semi-final in Monte Carlo, as he had far too much firepower for the 20-year-old Frenchman as he beat him 6-2 6-4.
“The first thing we have to be grateful for is the sun,” Alcaraz said, after a week of less than warm conditions in Barcelona.
“The sun was out, it wasn’t raining. There was [however] a lot of wind today, so I had to survive. It wasn’t about playing fantastic tennis, brilliant shots… It was about making the shots you have to do, no more than that.
More Tennis News
Explained: What Munich Open heckler shouted at Alexander Zverev about domestic abuse allegations
“Since I was a little kid, I was here on Sundays watching the final. I played twice here so being in a final here in Barcelona again means a lot.
“In front of my people, my friends who came from Murcia, and of course, the people here in Barcelona. It’s been a really fun and great week, and let’s see if we can end tomorrow with a trophy.”;
Alcaraz won the title in Barcelona in in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year’s tournament through injury and even though he is picking up fresh ranking points this week, he could still be ousted as world No 2.
Alcaraz remains some distance behind Jannik Sinner in the battle for the world No 1 ranking, but he returned to the No 2 ranking after his Monte Carlo Masters win last week.
Now he could be one defeat away from losing that ranking, as he needs to beat an in-form Holger Rune in Sunday’s final to hold onto the No 2 ranking.
Alexander Zverev has been struggling for form throughout 2025, but he has battled his way through to the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Munich this week and will overtake Alcaraz in the rankings if he wins his final against Ben Shelton and Rune wins in Barcelona.
“It’s awesome, the entire week has been amazing,” said Zverev as he commented on the Munich event that has been upgraded to ATP 500 level.
“The spectators have been really enjoying the weather, the new centre court and the new tournament. I’m enjoying it myself and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow.
“I thought I played quite a good match. I lost focus once in the first set on my serve, but apart from that I thought it was a good match. I thought Fabian played extremely well and I’m just happy to be in the final.”
Zverev openly admitted he was lacking on confidence after his poor results in recent months, so this revival in front of his German fans could be significant as he prepares for a crucial few weeks that will include the defence of the Rome Masters title he won last year.
The battle between Zverev and Alcaraz for the world No 2 ranking is significant, as the player who comes out on top would avoid a clash with world No 1 Jannik Sinner in next month’s French Open final until the final in Roland Garros.
READ NEXT: Holger Rune secures stunning rankings breakthrough as he seals Carlos Alcaraz showdown
The post Carlos Alacarz could face alarming rankings fall if he loses Barcelona final appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply