Barcelona, April 23 (US): Carlos Alcaraz was as commanding and dominant as ever, nodding from side to side to the music being played on Rafa Nadal’s Central Court.
The 19-year-old Spaniard could not have been more relaxed as he sat on the bench during the late change-up, watching the home crowd dance and enjoy the moment.
The Carriers got up and continued to impress on the court, and it wasn’t long before he lifted yet another trophy, reports the Associated Press.
Alcaraz became the first player since Rafael Nadal to repeat the Barcelona Open title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday, to claim his third title this year and the ninth in his impressive young career.
It was Alcaraz’s fifth straight home win, second-most of the year. He is now 10-1 in Barcelona and has won his last 14 matches on Spanish soil.
Alcaraz had not successfully defended a title in his career before Sunday. Nadal was the last player to win back-to-back titles in Barcelona with three consecutive titles from 2016-18. Alcaraz will also attempt to defend his title at the upcoming Madrid Open.
He is now 23-2 for the year. His other titles this season came in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells.
Alcaraz was playing in his fourth World Cup final in five tournaments this year, winning it with 26 winners and seven valid faults.
He and Tsitsipas traded breaks early in the first set but Alcaraz eventually took control to secure a fourth consecutive win over the fifth-placed Greek. He also beat Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals of Barcelona last year.
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