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Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Twenty-five seasons have gone by since Feliciano Lopez took to the clay of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899 to play in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell for the first time. It was April 1998, and the Spaniard was a promising young 16-year-old who had been given a wild card for the qualifiers. After winning two matches, he played the first of the 991 main-draw tour-level matches he has competed in so far during his distinguished career.

It was a brief first encounter with ATP Tour tennis, because Jiri Novak sent him packing in the first round, 6-0, 6-2. “I came back down to earth with a bang,” Lopez told ATPTour.com this week in Barcelona. “He thrashed me, and I told myself: ‘Time to practise, there is still a long way to go’. I would have signed on the dotted line for everything that has happened to me since that match.”

That teenager could never have imagined the records he would go on to set: playing more consecutive Grand Slam main draws than any other player, participating in more ATP Masters 1000s than anyone else, and being a member of the 500-wins club.

Even though his breakthrough came on clay, the young Lopez was different to his compatriots. He didn’t fit the mould of a classic Spanish player. His qualities were different, try as they might to make him like the rest. He was a rebel, a left-hander with an exceptional serve and an innate gift for volleying.

#NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche picked up his first Top 100 win on Monday at the Srpska Open in Banja Luka, coming back from a set down and recovering a break deficit in the final set to defeat Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250.

The 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 result gave Van Assche his second tour-level win and sets up a second-round showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

"I'm very happy with my win. It was a pleasure to play in front of you all," said the 18-year-old, who won the crowd over with his smooth game over the course of the two hour, 42 minute match. "It's normal that at the beginning [the fans] were for Stan because he's an amazing legend of the sport and I'm very happy to win this match."

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The Frenchman saved eight of 11 break points, including four at 5-5 in the second set, to set himself up for the biggest victory of his career. In the final set, he won four straight games after falling a break behind at 1-3, absorbing the heavy baseline blows of Wawrinka to turn the match around.

Marcos Giron picked up his first career win at the BMW Open by American Express with an upset of seventh seed Roberto Carballes Baena on Monday in Munich.

The American earned a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory against the Spaniard in his second appearance at the ATP 250. In fourth seed Botic van de Zandschulp's quarter, Giron will meet Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff or Swiss qualifier Alexander Ritschard in the second round. Now 10-9 on the season, he can reach his fourth tour-level quarter-final of 2023 with another victory in Munich. 

"I'm really happy with the win," he said in an on-court interview. "It was kind of a tale of three sets. The first set I came out and played great. The second set [I was] a little sloppier, he raised his level, and the third I'm really happy with it. There were a few close moments and I did well."

Giron was a constant threat on return in the two-hour, 12-minute match, creating 14 break chances and converting five of them. He also fired five aces and won 81 per cent of his first-serve points, saving two of four break points.

Flavio Cobolli also advanced on Monday in Munich with a 7-5, 6-1 win against Aussie Jordan Thompson. The Italian was an efficient five-of-six on break points and now awaits fifth seed Sebastian Baez or Germany's Oscar Otte in the second round.

Haier, the number one brand globally in major appliances, has today become the Official Home Appliances Partner and Gold Partner of the ATP Tour.

This partnership will provide a premium platform for Haier to promote its latest innovations and sustainability focus to tennis fans - a community numbering more than one billion globally. This aligns with Haier’s Zero Distance strategy, which aims to bring the brand closer to audiences attracted to outstanding performance, tailor-made, smart and ecosystem experiences.

Haier will receive on-court, in-arena and on-site visibility at a portfolio of top ATP Tour events: the Nitto ATP Finals, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rolex Paris Masters, Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Cinch Championships (London Queen’s Club) and Hamburg European Open in 2023. Haier will also benefit from world-class corporate hospitality experiences and exposure on ATP Tour’s digital channels.

This marks the latest major sponsorship for Haier, following a recently announced deal with Roland-Garros, in partnership with the French Tennis Federation (FFT). It directly supports the company’s global growth strategy, building on its position as the first consumer choice for smart solutions.

Daniele Sanò, ATP Chief Business Officer, said: "We’re excited to announce our partnership with Haier, a leading company that shares our commitment to excellence and innovation. Together, we look forward to bringing new experiences to our fans and showcasing the reach and versatility of the ATP Tour’s global platform.”

Ben Shelton continued his impressive start to his career on red clay on Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he downed fellow American Mackenzie McDonald 7-5, 6-4 to reach the second round at the ATP 500.

The #NextGenATP American, who only competed on red clay for the first time in his life in Estoril two weeks ago, converted five of his six break points to clinch a 99-minute win against the World No. 54 McDonald. His kick serve and huge forehand were particularly instrumental as he won four games in a row from 2-4 in the second set to claim victory.

“I thought that this was definitely a good start to the tournament for me,” the 20-year-old Shelton told ATPTour.com. “I think that I did some things well, some things I could have done better, and over the next couple of days I’m going to hope to improve on those things and sharpen my game.

“I’m happy with the way that I competed today, and obviously playing on a clay court, things are going to happen. There’s a little more back and forth and things can get tricky, so I’m happy with how tough I was mentally today and my competitive spirit.”

Shelton next faces third seed Casper Ruud in Barcelona. Last August, when he was still a relatively unknown No. 299-ranked college player, the American stunned Ruud in straight sets on the hard courts of Cincinnati. This time around, Shelton knows he will have to find a path to victory without the element of surprise against the Norwegian, who is a nine-time ATP Tour titlist on clay.

The first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event of the season at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters saw Andrey Rublev lift the title, while several Top 100 stars enjoyed deep runs.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as of Monday, 17 April 2023.

View Pepperstone ATP Rankings

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No. 7 Holger Rune, +2 (Career High)
The 19-year-old has climbed two spots to a career-high No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after he reached his second ATP Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo. The Dane was the first teenager to advance to the title match in the Principality since then-19-year-old Rafael Nadal in 2006. He defeated Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner before falling to Andrey Rublev. Read Monte-Carlo Final Report & Watch Highlights.

Thirty-one straight backhands in the court with the match on the line.

Andrey Rublev defeated Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final by putting 31 straight backhands in the court from 1-4 down in the deciding set. Rublev missed his thirty-second backhand in the net going down the line serving at 6-5 40/0. It was an inconsequential error. An ace out wide at 40/15 on the ensuing point sealed a momentous victory.

Rublev’s backhand was the rock that got him over the finish line. Rublev also extracted seven errors using his backhand groundstroke from 1-4 down in the final set, with four being a Rune backhand, which overheated deep in the deciding set.

During the same period, with Rune leading 4-1 in the deciding set, Rune’s backhand broke down under self-imposed pressure. The Dane hit 31 backhands, committing six errors while hitting two winners and only extracting one error from Rublev (a forehand groundstroke).

Rublev’s backhand was always going in. Rune’s was much more of a wild card as the finish line rushed hard at both players.

The latest thrill for two Formula 1 stars was not a white-knuckle trip around a racetrack, but a highly entertaining championship Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Monagesque Charles Leclerc, brother and Formula 2 driver Arthur Leclerc and Frenchman Pierre Gasly were among the stars who watched Andrey Rublev capture his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in a thrilling final against Holger Rune.

After the championship clash, the racing stars spent time with Rublev and Rune.

Arthur Leclerc, Charles Leclerc, Holger Rune, and Pierre Gasly. Credit: Sébastien Darrasse
“I’m extremely excited, it’s one of the biggest events of the year here in Monaco,” Charles Leclerc said in a video produced by the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. “I’m really happy to be here. It’s amazing to see such a big sport event here in Monaco and see so many people attending.”

Gasly added: “It’s my first time here in Monte-Carlo for the Masters, definitely excited to be following the final. I love the competition. I love to be able to see greatness in a different environment.”

After a thrilling week in Monte-Carlo, the ATP Tour continues its clay-court season with events in Barcelona, Banja Luka and Munich.

Carlos Alcaraz headlines the field at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, an ATP 500 event. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the top seed at the Srpska Open and Monte-Carlo finalist Holger Rune will try to maintain his momentum at the BMW Open by American Express.

ATPTour.com examines what to watch for at each of the three tournaments.

View Draws: Barcelona | Banja Luka | Munich

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BARCELONA
1) Alcaraz Defending Champ: Alcaraz returns to the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899, where he captured the title last year. The World No. 2 is 18-2 with two titles (Buenos Aires and Indian Wells) this season. Last year Alcaraz arrived in Barcelona having never won a match at the tournament, but he triumphed in three three-setters en route to the trophy. The 19-year-old will open against Ilya Ivashka or Nuno Borges.

Andrey Rublev is a fans’ favourite and has been a fixture inside the world’s Top 10 for more than two years. But it was Sunday on Court Rainier III when he stepped into the sun.

Rublev’s reaction said it all. After hitting an ace to close out his victory against Holger Rune in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final, the champion fell to the court and covered his face with his hands. He laid still on the red clay of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, where legends from Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl had triumphed. The fifth seed had not only joined them, but became an ATP Masters 1000 titlist for the first time.

“Finally I did it. I did it in Monaco with the really historic tournament. It's a pleasure to be part of it,” Rublev said. “To win [a] match like this, losing 4-1, Love-30, break point for 5-1, and to be able to come back and to win [the] match is like a fairy tale today.”

Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
The 25-year-old’s emotions were unmistakable. After embracing Rune and shaking hands with chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, Rublev turned to the crowd to give his thanks. There were tears in his eyes.

After rallying in the third set, it felt like there could have been a twist or two left when Rublev stepped to the baseline to serve for the championship at 6-5 in the final set. It surprised Rublev when he quickly earned a 40/0 lead.

Teenager Holger Rune fell just short of capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday, when he lost against Andrey Rublev in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final. Despite his defeat, the Dane is proud of his efforts at the clay-court event.

“I obviously feel like it was a long match yesterday. We finished late,” said Rune, who beat Jannik Sinner in a late-night semi-final thriller on Saturday to reach the final. “I didn't have much time to recover. It is what it is. I gave it all. Didn't have any more in me. I did what I could, and I was very close.”

The 19-year-old Dane led Rublev 4-1 in the third set, but was unable to close out, with the fifth seed rallying to clinch his first title at this level. Rune, who was aiming to become the first teenager to triumph in Monte-Carlo since a then-19-year-old Rafael Nadal won the title in 2006, is determined to take the lessons from falling short in his second ATP Masters 1000 final.

“I was definitely in control in the third set and also I would say mostly in the first set as well," Rune said. " But again, I didn't manage to close it out. Disappointing, but again, it's part of tennis."

Rune overcame Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Sinner en route to his first tour-level final of the season. The 2022 Paris champion will rise to a career-high No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday following his run in the Principality.

Andrey Rublev clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday when he overcame teenager Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

In a clash between two of the biggest ball-strikers on the ATP Tour, it was the fifth seed who prevailed on a sunbathed Court Rainier III. Rublev struck 33 winners and rallied from 1-4 in the third set to earn the 13th and biggest title of his career after two hours and 34 minutes. Rublev sealed victory with his fifth ace of the match, dropping to the floor in celebration.

"I have tears," Rublev said. "I don't know what to say. I am so happy. I have been struggling so much to win a Masters 1000 tournament. Trailing 1-4, 0/30, then saving break points, thinking there is no chance to win. But somehow I did it."

With his 18th tour-level win of the season, Rublev improved to 1-2 in ATP Masters 1000 finals, having lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte-Carlo and Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati in 2021.

"I was hoping deep inside that I would have one chance," Rublev said. "Play until the end. I remember the previous finals and when I was losing I thought I'd have no chance and mentally I was going down. But today I thought, 'Just believe until the end', and this is what I was trying to do in the third set, hoping I would have an extra chance to come back and what a way to do it."

Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

It is practically impossible to walk the corridors of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899 at this year’s Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell without hearing Carlos Alcaraz’s name. On top of being the first seed, the 19-year-old Spaniard is the defending champion at the ATP 500 event.

The world No. 2 is bidding to successfully defend an ATP title for the first time next week in Catalunya. He attempted the feat in Umag last year, but his campaign ended in the final against Jannik Sinner. Earlier this season in Rio de Janeiro, where he played Cameron Norrie in the championship match, the result was the same. At the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami he bowed out in the semi-finals.

Alcaraz has come close to defending his titles on every attempt so far but has never managed to reclaim his throne. This week in Barcelona, he is hoping it will be a different story, although a relaxed Alcaraz is keen to distance himself from any kind of pressure.

“We’ll be thinking about everything, apart from defending the title,” he said with a smile at the pre-tournament press conference. “Barcelona is a place I love playing in, where I have really amazing memories, not just from last year, but also from playing when I was young. I’m going to try and avoid that pressure to defend the title.”

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek captured their first ATP Masters 1000 crown as a team Sunday when they saved two match points to overcome Monegasque-Austrian wild cards Romain Arneodo and Sam Weissborn 6-0, 4-6, 14-12 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

In a dramatic final at the clay-court event, the fifth seeds raced out of the blocks to quickly clinch the first set, before they saved two match points in the Match Tie-break at 9/10 and 11/12 to eventually advance after one hour and 33 minutes.

"It’s amazing, I think,” said Dodig. “This is the one I was missing in my collection and I played the final I think in 2014. It’s great. I think every player who plays tennis at a professional level wants to win this tournament. It’s the first tournament on clay, it’s so prestigious and I’m really, really happy to have this trophy.”

Your 2023 @ROLEXMCMASTERS Doubles Champions ? @DodigTennis | @AustinKrajicek | #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/DKj804Wpbz

Monegasque Arneodo was aiming to become the first home player to win the title in the Principality in the Open Era (since 1968). The 30-year-old and Austrian Weissborn arrived in Monte-Carlo holding a 2-4 tour-level record, but enjoyed a dream run to the final, upsetting seeds Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury and Lloyd Glasspool/Harri Heliovaara.

Heavy hitting will likely be the order of the day as the 2023 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters reaches its climax.

Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune, Top 10 stars with some of the biggest baseline weapons in the game, will attempt to hit through each other on Sunday to claim the trophy at the first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. (Watch the final from 2:30pm CET/8:30am ET)

Both demonstrated their fighting qualities while rallying from a set down in rain-affected semi-finals on Saturday. Rublev completed a comeback against Taylor Fritz, while Rune clawed past Jannik Sinner in a thrilling evening encounter. Despite his physical exertions in that later match, the 19-year-old Dane needs no extra motivation as he chases his second ATP Masters 1000 crown.

“I expect for myself to push full. It's the last push, it's the last match of the tournament,” said Rune, who is the first teenager to reach the Monte-Carlo final since the then-19-year-old Rafael Nadal in 2006. “Obviously [Rublev] had three sets today as well, so he must be feeling the legs a little bit, I hope. I don't know. You know, it's going to be great.

“We played each other twice. It's 1-1 head-to-head, so it's going to be interesting, for sure.”

Teenager Holger Rune moved to within one win of capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title Saturday when he moved past Jannik Sinner 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a late-night thriller at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

In a battle between two of the brightest talents on Tour, it was the 19-year-old Rune who handled the conditions and pressure the best in a rain-disrupted clash on Court Rainier III. The Dane struck his clean groundstrokes with aggression in the heavy conditions and recovered from a slow start against the 21-year-old Italian to advance after two hours and 46 minutes.

"It was quite unbelievable," Rune said. "Jannik started firing, hitting a lot of winners and he has been in good form the past few months. I had to dig deep and find solutions, which I did well. It was fun to play like this."

Attack + Defence = Winning ?

More clinical attacking and brilliant defence from @holgerrune2003 ?

Can the Holger ? keep rolling ⁉️#TennisInsights | @atptour | @ROLEXMCMASTERS pic.twitter.com/Jeg8cV9Eat

With his 17th tour-level win of the season, Rune has improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Sinner. The Dane is up two spots to No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and can rise to a career-high No. 6 by claiming his eighth tour-level crown on Sunday.

Romain Arneodo and Sam Weissborn continued their dream run at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Saturday when they clawed past Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 7-6(7), 4-6, 10-7 to reach their maiden ATP Masters 1000 final as a team.

In a tight clash, the Monegasque-Austrian wild cards saved four set points en route to winning the first set and then raised their level in the Match Tie-break to triumph after two hours and 10 minutes against the German pair.

Prince Albert II enjoys Romain Arneodo's win on Saturday in Monte-Carlo.
Monegasque Arneodo and Austrian Weissborn have earned standout results in the Principality, upsetting seeds Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury and Lloyd Glasspool/Harri Heliovaara earlier this week. Home favourite Arneodo and Austrian Weissborn will face Fabrice Martin and Andreas Mies or Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in Sunday’s title match.

Earlier this season, Arneodo and Weissborn clinched an ATP Challenger Tour title before they reached the semi-finals at a tour-level event in Marseille.

An engrossing semi-final between Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz was interrupted in the deciding set by rain on Saturday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Fritz was serving at 7-5, 1-6, 2-3 when the players went off shortly before 4pm CET at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event in Monaco. The American claimed a topsy-turvy opening set that featured seven breaks of serve before Rublev roared back in the second to level the clash on Court Rainier III.

Fritz holds a 4-2 ATP Head2Head series lead against Rublev and is attempting to become just the sixth American to reach the Monte-Carlo championship match in the Open Era (since 1968). Rublev is attempting to reach his second Monte-Carlo final, having also done so in 2021.

Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell as the top seed and defending champion, but the Spaniard will have to pass some tough early tests if he wants to repeat his 2022 triumph at the clay-court ATP 500.

View Draws: Barcelona | Banja Luka | Munich

The World No. 2 opens his campaign against Ilya Ivashka or Nuno Borges at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona-1899. His fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut is a potential third-round opponent while fifth seed Frances Tiafoe, fresh from winning his maiden clay-court ATP Tour title in Houston, is seeded to meet Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz fell to Tiafoe in straight sets on his Barcelona main-draw debut in 2021, but charged to the title in Catalunya a year later by completing semi-final and championship-match wins on the same day. The 19-year-old is playing his first event since he enjoyed a successful ‘Sunshine Double’ in March, when he lifted his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells before reaching the semi-finals in Miami.

Casper Ruud, a nine-time tour-level titlist on clay, is also in the top half of the Barcelona draw. The third seed opens against an American, Mackenzie McDonald or Ben Shelton. Sixth seed Karen Khachanov is a potential quarter-final opponent for Ruud as he looks to bounce back from his third-round exit at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

The youthful semi-final lineup at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters features the event's fifth through eighth seeds, with young stars Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune joining 25-year-olds Andrey Rublev and Taylor Fritz in the last four.

Sinner and Rune will meet for the second time, while Rublev and Fritz — born eight days apart in October 1997 — are set for their seventh ATP Head2Head matchup.

ATPTour.com looks ahead to the Saturday singles slate in Monte-Carlo and previews the doubles semi-finals, where fifth seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek are the lone seeds standing.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

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