2025 Barcelona Open ATP 500 Preview
Casper Ruud will defend his 2024 title when the 2025 Barcelona Open begins on Monday, April 14.
Monte Carlo champion Carlos Alcaraz, 2024 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, and others will attempt to dethrone the 2024 champ.
Join me as I preview the Barcelona Open, beginning Monday, April 14.
2025 Barcelona Open Main Draw
Past Barcelona Open Champions in Main Draw
Casper Ruud (2024)
Carlos Alcaraz (2022, 2023)
Kei Nishikori (2014, 2015)
Alcaraz Favorite To Win Third Barcelona Open
If he isn’t gassed from winning the Monte Carlo Masters, World No. 2 and two-time champ Carlos Alcaraz would be the top choice to win this event.
He’s essentially playing at home, but his draw could be tricky. Getting past the second round is the key; Tomas Machac or Frances Tiafoe would likely be the toughest match until potentially a quarterfinal clash with Alex de Minaur and possibly Arthur Fils in the semis.
Fils is beginning to make some noise. His quarterfinal run at Monte Carlo was impressive, and his power game could play well on the Barca dirt. A potential quarterfinal with Stefanos Tsitsipas could be the popcorn match of the tourney.
Ruud Headlines Bottom Half of Barcelona Open Draw
No. 2 seed Casper Ruud has 500 points to defend and a tough draw to do it.
The 2024 champ has always struggled on this surface against big servers, and no bigger than Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard possibly awaits in the second round.
If Ruud gets past Mpetshi Perricard, he’ll likely find either Holger Rune or Sebastian Baez awaiting in the quarters and maybe Andrey Rublev or Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina in the semis.
Don’t Sleep on These Barcelona Open Dark Horses
These players could make some 2025 Barcelona Open noise.
Tomas Machac has a solid chance to make a nice run. He opens with Frances Tiafoe-they’ve battled twice (1-1) but Machac was forced to retire (2023). If he wins, he’s 1-1 lifetime against Alcaraz and if he can get through all that without retiring (6 since 2024), he could win this event.
Sebastian Baez is one of the best clay court players in the world, when he’s on. The Rio Open champ has reached a couple of other finals, but has a tricky route to a title that would likely have to run through Rune. He’s won two of three against the Danish star, and if he gets past Rune, he is another who could win the Barcelona Open.
Alex de Minaur is the fastest man next to Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open draw. He should get through a struggling Tomas Martin-Etcheverry and if he does, he’ll have a shot to win his first match in three tries against his Spanish rival.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is playing good ball again. The two-time Barcelona Open finalist has come close, but he has a good draw. He’ll open with Reilly Opelka with either Matteo Arnaldi or Sebastian Korda in the third round. While he’s 0-2 lifetime against potential quarter final foe Arthur Fils, the two have never met on the dirt.
Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina is coming off a strong Monte Carlo semifinal run cut short by Alcaraz. He opens with relic Stan Wawrinka and but he’s 0-5 lifetime against potential Round of 16 opponent Andrey Rublev.
Andrey Rublev has a new coach with the game and the draw to win the Barcelona Open. Consistency caused by mental lapses are behind the Russian’s strange decline, but with Musetti possibly injured, his draw is winnable. He also boasts four straight victories over potential semifinalist Ruud.
Predicting the Barcelona Open Champion
This doesn’t feel like an easy tournament to predict.
Alcaraz is the favorite to win his third Barcelona Open title, but it’s tough to win on successive weeks.
Is he gassed from winning Monte Carlo? Not sure but I’m likely fading him this week.
The players I think have the best chance to hoist the Barcelona Open title are Tsitsipas, Baez, Machac and Rublev.
Machac is tough to beat, but his past early retirement history has me looking elsewhere, like maybe Baez.
Tsitsipas is playing much more consistently these days. He knows how to win here, and his draw is one he could dominate if he gets hot.
Rublev has the best draw of the trio. Musetti is possibly injured, and his past history against Ruud leads me to believe he has the best chance of at least reaching a semi.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev
