Barcelona, April 21 (H.S.): Danish tennis star Holger Rune pulled off a major upset on Sunday by defeating World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz to claim the title of the Barcelona Open 2025.

Rune delivered an outstanding performance in the final match, winning 7-6 (8/6), 6-2. This victory marks his first title in nearly a year.

The match was particularly notable because Alcaraz lost for only the second time in his last 23 clay-court matches.

After his victory, Holger Rune said, It feels crazy. Winning a title after nearly a year is very special for me. Beating a player like Carlos, who is also a good friend, in the final makes this moment even more special. I maintained my composure throughout the match and played strategically.

In the final, Carlos Alcaraz gained an early advantage by breaking serve in the fifth game. However, Rune quickly made a comeback to level the score at 3-3. In the 10th game, Rune had two set points, but Alcaraz saved them. The first set went to a tiebreak, where Rune capitalized on his opportunity to take the first set. This was the first set that Alcaraz dropped this week.

In the second set, Alcaraz created two break points early on, but Rune saved them. After the third game, Alcaraz took a medical timeout and returned to the court. However, by that time, Holger Rune had already established control of the match. Rune broke Alcaraz’s serve twice, taking the second set 6-2 to secure the title. Alcaraz, who had previously won the Monte Carlo Masters and was preparing for the French Open, missed the chance to win his third title in Barcelona.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar