Carlos Alcaraz continued his red-hot form as he retained his Barcelona Open title by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the final. The Spaniard was delighted to go all the way in Barcelona in front of his friends and family.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal, who has won Barcelona Open on 12 occasions, could not take part in the ATP 500 event as he continues his recovery from a hip injury.

Alcaraz feels it is a pity that his compatriot could not take part in the tournament but he wants to play against the best in the business to prove his mettle. The young Spaniard added he wants to build his own history and he is not here to take over from anyone.

“Speaking of this week, it’s been two years that Rafa hasn’t been there, I’ve been lucky, or let’s say I won’t win the title. But as I’ve always said, I’ve always wanted to play against the best,” said the US Open champion.

Alcaraz continued, “It is a pity that we have not been able to enjoy Rafa these last two years. Let’s hope he continues playing for a long time and we can enjoy his tennis, but obviously, we’re not here to take over from anyone, but to build our own history.”

The teenager added that he enters every tournament with high confidence in going all the way. He said he wants to gauge his success by the level at which he plays.

“We always go to each tournament thinking that we can win, trying to do our best. Not winning Madrid would not be a failure for me, it depends on the level I have shown and the matches,” said Alcaraz.

The ATP No.2 added, “All the players are very good, they can all win the title and they can beat me. For me, failure would depend on the level I show and the way I play.”

Alcaraz will play in Madrid Open and Italian Open before he will play in Roland Garros.

“Roland Garros is a clear short-term goal,” said Alcaraz. “It is a tournament that I really want to win, but right now we are focused on Madrid and Rome.”

The French Open will begin on May 28 in Paris.