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Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his title at the Barcelona Open by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
Alcaraz beat Nuno Borges, Roberto Bautista Agut, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Dan Evans to reach the title clash, where he maintained his 100% win record against Tsitsipas (4-0) to win his third title of the 2023 season and ninth overall. The Spaniard did not drop a single set en route to his title defense at the Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz shared a few images of himself with the winner's trophy on Instagram, with his caption reading:
"THANK YOU BARCELONA! An unforgettable week ending with another trophy! Your support has been vital!"
A number of tennis players congratulated Alcaraz on winning the Barcelona Open, with Coco Gauff writing "Congrats" in the comments section while Denis Shapovalov wrote "Legend".
Other tennis players who lauded Alcaraz for his triumph included Roberto Bautista Agut and Nina Stojanovic.
Speaking on his win, Alcaraz said that it was a great feeling to win the Barcelona Open in front of his family, friends and team members.
"It is incredible. To feel this energy and lift the trophy in Barcelona in front of my family and friends, and most members of my team are here as well. Playing this level and to lift the trophy in front of them is a good feeling for me," Alcaraz said.
"I don't want to take over from anyone"- Carlos Alcaraz on wanting to surpass Rafael Nadal's record at Barcelona
Carlos Alcaraz was asked in his press conference if surpassing Rafael Nadal's tally of 12 titles in Barcelona was on his mind after winning his second title. The 19-year-old rubbished such claims, saying that he wanted to build his own history while also hoping for Nadal to continue playing for a while.
"I don't want to take over from anyone. I've always wanted to play against the best and it's a pity that Rafa hasn't been here. Let's hope he continues playing for a long time. I don't want to take over from anyone but build my own history," Alcaraz said.
After winning in Barcelona, the 19-year-old now has 23 wins out of 25 matches so far in 2023. He remains the World No. 2 with 6770 points, 365 points behind Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz will next compete at the Madrid Open, where he is the defending champion.
