Barcelona Draw: Alcaraz On Collision Course With Tsitsipas

Following his deep run in Monte Carlo, Stefanos Tsitsipas will be put back to the test very quickly next week at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he reached the championship match in 2021.

The top-seeded Greek could face Monte Carlo semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, with fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz lurking as a potential quarter-final opponent. Alcaraz could face ninth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in a third-round battle should both men win their openers.

The 18-year-old Spaniard is set to compete on home soil for the first time since he lost to Rafael Nadal in Madrid last May. The World No. 11 holds an 18-3 record on the 2022 ATP Tour season, including title runs in Miami and Rio de Janeiro. He will enter Barcelona third in the ATP Race To Turin, behind only Nadal and Tsitsipas.

Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime lead the bottom half of the draw, with the Canadian in line to meet Frances Tiafoe in the third-round rematch of their 2021 US Open encounter. Ruud’s first potential seeded opponent is Alexander Bublik.

Host nation Spain has three seeded entrants, with Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta joining Alcaraz. In the top half, seventh seed RBA could face Alex de Minaur in the third round. Eighth seed PCB could open against countryman Tommy Robredo — should the wild card defeat his qualifier opponent in the first round — with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego his possible third-round opposition. Carreno Busta reached the Barcelona semi-finals one year ago, bowing out against eventual champion Nadal.

Qualifying in Barcelona begins Sunday, with main-draw play set for Monday.