Carlos Alcaraz has just fallen short in further success in 2025, having lost the Barcelona Open final to Holger Rune.
Rune has praised Alcaraz after beating him in Barcelona, where the latter was chasing a third title of the season.
Alcaraz recently rose to number two in the ATP rankings, having won in Rotterdam and Monte Carlo so far in 2025.
The Spanish star has, however, since fallen back to number three, overtaken by Alexander Zverev after his win at the BMW Open.
Rune was stressed against Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open final, but the Dane managed to emerge victorious 7-6(8-6), 6-2.
Carlos Alcaraz surprised by ‘organised’ Holger Rune in Barcelona Open final
Rune was the sixth seed at the ATP 500 tournament, and has now risen from 13th to ninth in the ATP rankings.
And he certainly surprised his opponent in their latest clash, with Alcaraz saying after the match: “I know Rune, I’ve seen him win big titles and beat great players.
READ MORE: Holger Rune picks who he thinks is ‘possibly the best player in the world’ on clay courts right now
“I’m not surprised by the level he can reach – what did surprise me, something he shows from time to time but not so often, was how organised he was during the match.
“He barely had any ups and downs, he was very focused, very solid, from start to finish. He had everything very clear.
“You have to congratulate him for that, and in that sense, yes, he did surprise me a bit. But in terms of his level – no, I know what he’s capable of.”
Carlos Alcaraz messages Holger Rune after Barcelona Open final loss
Rune now has five ATP titles to his name, with the 21-year-old now up and running in that regard for the season.
But success had been a long time coming, with the Dane last winning in Munich in 2023, having won three times in 2022.
He produced a superb display to cause the upset in Barcelona, having needed just one hour and 40 minutes to beat Alcaraz.
Their close friendship has, however, been maintained despite the result, with the Spaniard sharing a heartfelt message in Spanish on his Instagram.
“We couldn’t make it today, but it’s been an incredible week in Barcelona!” wrote Alcaraz. “Thank you so much for the huge support! Many congratulations Holger Rune!”
The success comes right after Rune was forced to retire from his opener at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this month.
He couldn’t complete his match with Nuno Borges due to food poisoning, with Alcaraz having lifted the trophy in Monaco.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
