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The 71st edition of the Barcelona Open is just around the corner and we are in for a week of high-octane tennis action in the Spanish city.
Carlos Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion at the ATP 500 event, having won it in 2023 after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The Spaniard will be a heavy favorite to win the tournament for the third successive time but is bound to face challenges from the likes of Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev.
Nadal will be back in action after missing several tournaments earlier this year and fans will be eager to see him play on clay for the first time since his French Open triumph in 2022.
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What is the Barcelona Open?
The Barcelona Open is an ATP 500 clay-court event that takes place during the month of April. The inaugural edition of the tournament took place in 1953, with Vix Seixas being the champion after defeating Argentina's Enrique Morea in the final.
Rafael Nadal is the most successful competitor in the history of the Barcelona Open, with 12 titles to his name. The likes of Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, and Carlos Alcaraz are other notable players who've won the tournament.
Venue
The Real Club de Tenis Barcelona in Barcelona is the venue for Barcelona Open 2024.
Players and Draw
Rafael Nadal is back in Barcelona after missing it in 2022 and 2023. The Spaniard will be competing in only his second tournament of 2024 and will face Flavio Cobolli in the first round.
Top seed and two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will face either Luca van Assche or Zhang Zhizhen in the second round while 2023 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas will be up against either Sebastian Ofner or Pavel Kotov.
Second seed Andrey Rublev will be eager to have a good run in Barcelona following disappointing runs in Indian Wells, Miami, and most recently, Monte-Carlo. The Russian will take on either Dan Evans or Brandon Nakashima in the second round.
Third seed Casper Ruud has been in good form lately and will look to impress at the ATP 500 event. He will take on either Alexander Muller or Albert Ramos Vinolas in his first match. The likes of Alex de Minaur and Karen Khachanov are also among the players to watch out for at the Barcelona Open.
Schedule
The qualifiers for the ATP 500 event take place on April 13 and 14, with the main draw set to start on April 15. The quarterfinals will be played on April 19 while the semifinals are scheduled to be played on April 20. The men's singles final in Barcelona is set to take place on April 21.
Prize Money
The total prize pool for the Barcelona Open is €2,938,695 and the men's singles champion will be awarded €488,390. Here is the full prize money breakdown for the ATP 500 event:
Where to Watch
Viewers in the US and UK can watch the Barcelona Open live on the following channels and sites:-
USA: Viewers in the United States can catch all the action on Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on Amazon Prime Video.
For more information regarding the broadcast of matches, click here.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
