Rune claims Barcelona title in straight sets over Alcaraz

Holger Rune has claimed one of the biggest wins of his career, toppling world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to win the 2025 Barcelona Open. The Danish 21-year-old brought down the red-hot Spaniard 7-6(6), 6-2 in Sunday’s final, ending Alcaraz’s nine-match win streak and sending a jolt through the French Open futures markets.

Heading into the ATP 500 final, Rune was priced at +450 across leading tennis betting sites, with Alcaraz the overwhelming -500 favorite following back-to-back clay-court titles.

But Rune’s mindset shifted after falling behind early, revealing post-match that he visualized Novak Djokovic’s Olympic win over Alcaraz for inspiration.

“When I got broken in the first set, I thought to myself that I don’t need to hit every shot on the line,” Rune said. “So I asked myself: ‘What did Novak do when he beat him?’ I played it in my mind, the Olympics final, and tried to play that style—making a lot of balls.

I’m very happy with how I stayed composed when it mattered, and I was really brave.”

Rune’s tactical switch paid off. He absorbed Alcaraz’s power game, clawed back the break, and edged the opening set in a tight tiebreaker.

From there, the Dane broke twice more and cruised to a one-hour, 37-minute win—his fifth career ATP title.

The win also propels Rune back into the ATP top 10, jumping four spots to world No.9. His odds to win the 2025 French Open have now shortened to +2100, putting him on the seventh line of betting at Nags.bet.

“It means the world,” Rune said after lifting the trophy. “It was such a great match. In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis.

I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm. The first set was a big battle. It was super important to win it and gain the momentum. I’m so proud of myself.”

Alcaraz, who was chasing a third straight title on clay, offered no excuses after the defeat and will now look to regroup ahead of the Madrid Open, which begins later this week.

Rune and Alcaraz are expected to be among the top seeds for the ATP Masters 1000 event, with top online sportsbooks set to release updated odds in the coming days.