World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz started his build-up to the French Open with an emphatic second-round win over Nuno Borges at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.
The top seed swept aside the world No 79 from Portugal 6-3, 6-1, converting five of his seven break opportunities to secure the win at the Rafa Nadal court. "It's always different to play here, it's not just any other tournament for me,” the 19-year-old Alcaraz said. “I'm at home, with the fans behind me.
It's always nice and special.” Alcaraz had earlier pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters with the injuries that had hampered his last appearance in the semi-finals in Miami where he succumbed to Jannik Sinner.
He turned up at Miami as the world No 1 after success at Indian Wells, but was knocked off the top of the ATP rankings by Novak Djokovic after his loss to Sinner.