On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz will aim for his third Barcelona Open title in the past four editions of the esteemed tournament. The local favorite faced Arthur Fils for the second consecutive week and delivered a strong performance in a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Carlos wrapped up the match in just an hour and 15 minutes with a strong display on both serve and return. He outplayed the young Frenchman and moved on to his 24th ATP final at just 21 years old. Alcaraz expressed satisfaction with his performance. The four-time Grand Slam champion stayed consistent throughout the match despite tough conditions, holding serve impressively — something he was especially happy about. After an early exit at the Miami Open, Carlos has been focused on regaining his confidence, and it’s clearly showing in his game.
Unlike their encounter in Monte Carlo last week, Fils couldn’t keep up with Alcaraz in Barcelona. The Spaniard dropped just 14 points across nine service games and fended off the only break point he faced, consistently applying pressure on the 20-year-old, who eventually buckled.
The Frenchman lost 45% of the points on his own serve and was broken three times, bringing his semi-final run to an end. Carlos posted a solid 12-14 winner-to-unforced error ratio and capitalized on Fils’ 38 errors—many of which came from his forehand—to secure the win.
The Spaniard dominated the baseline exchanges, creating a 41-26 advantage and cruising to victory. Fils struggled in the third game, committing several errors—including a double fault on break point. Alcaraz then extended his lead to 3-1 with a forehand winner in the following game.
In the fifth game, Alcaraz secured another break at 15 following yet another double fault from Arthur. The younger player had his lone break opportunity in the sixth game, but the two-time champion erased it with a forced error and held with another to move up 5-1.
Carlos served for the set at 5-2 and sealed it with a service winner after just 33 minutes, giving him momentum heading into the second set. Fils saved two break points early in the second but found himself under pressure again at 1-1 as Alcaraz continued to apply heavy aggression.
Arthur misfired during a rally, lost his serve, and angrily slammed the ball, earning a code violation for ball abuse. Carlos responded with a flawless service game, holding at love with an unreturned serve to go up 3-1. He then held again in the sixth game, extending his lead to 4-2.
The world No. 2 claimed the eighth game with a perfectly executed drop shot winner, maintaining control of the match. Fils managed to narrow the deficit to 5-4, keeping his hopes alive a bit longer. Still, he found himself facing match points on the return in the tenth game.
Carlos Alcaraz, Barcelona 2025 © Stream screenshot
Alcaraz missed his first two match points but converted the third with a forehand winner, securing the victory and setting his sights on a showdown with Holger Rune in Sunday’s final.
“I was able to stay consistent throughout the match, even with the windy conditions. I played at a high level and held serve effectively, which hadn’t always been the case in earlier rounds. That’s really important for my confidence going into the final.”
After an early defeat in Miami, Carlos Alcaraz focused on keeping a positive mindset and prioritizing enjoyment and composure on the court. He believes this approach has been key to his victories over the past two weeks. While he acknowledges there’s always room for improvement, he feels his game is in a good place right now.
