Carlos Alcaraz beat Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 25 minutes in his debut at the Trofeo Conde de Godó (Barcelona Open), calling a medical timeout for right wrist pain but returning to win convincingly on Pista Rafael Nadal. Fresh off losing the Monte Carlo Masters final to Jannik Sinner, the Spaniard downplayed the recurring issue, which he links to limited recovery time.
Alcaraz faced early challenges, saving three break points at 2-2 in the first set amid uncharacteristic errors and unease while serving. At 5-4, he called for the physio, receiving a massage, cream, and bandaging, then adjusted his game—avoiding slice backhands—and broke to take the set, easing home crowd worries. The second set featured exchanged breaks before Alcaraz pulled away with a double break for a comfortable finish, despite 23 unforced errors overall.
Post-match, Alcaraz admitted feeling 'a bit tired' from minimal rest but was optimistic: 'I hope it's nothing... We'll check with the physio.' He attributed the discomfort to 'few days of recovery, when everything has gone so often in some movement that is not usual,' noting similar past issues that never worsened. His team planned further assessment, echoing last year's upper right leg injury in the Godó final against Holger Rune, which forced a Madrid Open withdrawal. 'We tried to calm ourselves, go more relaxed to the second set, and see what happens,' he added. 'It feels great to be back, to get another win in Barcelona, in front of my people.'
Next, Alcaraz faces No. 47 Tomas Machac, who ousted Sebastian Baez, in the tournament's first-ever night session on Thursday. Virtanen, world No. 130 who led Finland to the 2023 Davis Cup semifinals, put up resistance with his serve but couldn't overcome the Spaniard's key breaks.
