Holger Rune uses Novak Djokovic s playbook to beat Carlos Alcaraz in Barcelona final

BARCELONA – Holger Rune said he took a leaf out of Novak Djokovic’s book to beat top seed Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (8-6),6-2 on April 20 to win the Barcelona Open for the first time.

Rune was nearly flawless as he became only the second player to beat Alcaraz in his last 23 matches on clay, although the Spaniard had some physical difficulties in the second set.

The home favourite’s previous defeat on clay was by Djokovic in the 2024 Paris Olympics final.

Said the 21-year-old Dane: “At the beginning, when I was broken, I was thinking, ‘Wow, how can I beat him?’ I told myself, ‘OK, what did Novak do when he beat him?’ I kind of played it back in my mind, that Olympic final?

“I was watching all of it when they played, amazing match, and I thought, ‘OK, let’s try to play that kind of style, really make him play a lot of balls’.

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

Meanwhile, Alcaraz believes fatigue caused the leg issue that troubled him in the final, adding that Europe’s gruelling clay-court swing gave him even more reason to marvel at Rafael Nadal’s success.

After winning the Monte Carlo trophy last week, Alcaraz was seeking a third title in four years at Barcelona but the 21-year-old’s nine-match winning run on clay was snapped by Rune.

Alcaraz took a 2-1 lead in the second set but then needed a medical timeout to deal with the leg problem and was unable to turn the match around.

“That’s what happens when you play so many matches and have so few days to rest. It’s so demanding and you have to give 100 per cent every day,” Alcaraz said.

“Having