Holger Rune stuns Carlos Alcaraz to capture Barcelona Open title

The victory marked the Dane's first title since Munich in 2023, in a match which handed Alcaraz just his second loss on Spanish soil in his last 31 matches.

"It means the world, it was such a great match," stated Rune, in his post-match interview.

"I think, at the beginning, I was a bit stressed since Carlos (Alcaraz) plays big-time tennis and I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm.

"After the beginning where he broke me, I played more my tennis and then it was a big battle - the first set was important - I know how it feels to lose such a first set, and, for me, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum, so I'm so proud of myself.

"In the beginning of the first set, where I got broken, I thought 'wow, how can I beat him?' and then I thought 'ok, I don't need to try to hit every shot on the line', so told myself what did Novak (Djokovic) do when he beat him.

"I played that over in my mind the (2024) Olympic final, where they played an amazing match. I thought to myself to play that kind of style and make him play a lot of balls and I'm very happy with how I stayed composed when it really mattered, I was also very brave when it mattered."

After his Barcelona adventures, Rune will return to the world's ATP top 10 for the first time since April 2024 - leapfrogging Daniil Medvedev into the ninth spot.

Additionally, the former world No 3 hadn't beaten a top-five ranked player since the Rome Masters in 2023, where he beat Casper Ruud in the semi-finals - losing all 13 meetings against such players since then.

"I want to say congratulations, not just for this week, but for Monaco," Rune said towards the Spaniard.

"I watched your win, and you're doing something amazing for tennis and sport as well, congrats to your team - you guys are doing a great job, so I wish you good luck for the future."

Alcaraz, who looked to be suffering from leg discomfort early on in the second set, was as gracious as ever, taking time to praise the victor after collecting his runners-up trophy.

"First of all, I have to say congratulations on an amazing week," the four-time Grand Slam champion said.

"Coming from Monte Carlo where you had to retire, and then coming here to Barcelona showing great tennis and a great effort for the people watching tennis, I appreciate that.

"I have to congratulate your team, we've been seeing each other since (we were) 12-years-old, time flies, so I'm just really happy to see us in this position, how far we've been together, so just congratulations and keep going."

The Spaniard's defeat - and with Alexander Zverev's Munich title - means that Alcaraz will slip back down to the world No 3 spot, sitting 35 points behind the German.