All eyes will be on the Barcelona Open this week as Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson and John Peers aim to maintain their form on clay.
Barcelona, Spain, 14 April 2025 | Jackson Mansell
An all-Australian showdown is on the radar early in Barcelona this week as players bid to build momentum ahead of Roland Garros next month.
Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson could face off in the second round, should they prevail in their opening matches.
De Minaur enters the ATP 500 tournament following his best campaign on clay in three years. The world No.7 reached the Monte Carlo semifinals, a run on which he downed three top-25 opponents.
His most dominant performance came in the quarterfinals where he double-bagelled Grigor Dimitrov – the first quarterfinal double-bagel in Masters 1000 history.
The Australian No.1 seeks to maintain his form on clay as he faces world No.46 Tomas Martin Etcheverry first up. De Minaur aims to replicate his United Cup performance against the world No.46, in which he cruised to a 6-1 6-4 victory. The Argentine won their only previous meeting on clay in the second round at Roland Garros two years ago.
MORE: De Minaur levels for Australia at United Cup
Thompson will hope to build on his start to the clay season after a strong showing in Monte Carlo. The world No.39 ended a five-match losing streak on the surface with his convincing defeat of big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
In his second-round match, Thompson stole a set off defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, which boosted hopes of a strong run in Barcelona.
Thompson battles Roberto Carballes Baena in his first match, where he defends his winning record against the Spaniard. The 30-year-old brushed past Carballes Baena at Wimbledon in 2022 and would hope for the same outcome this week.
After a first-round exit in Monte Carlo, Thompson and American Sebastian Korda aim to continue their otherwise successful start to 2025 when they open against Oriol Roca Batalla and Inigo Cervantes. The pair made back-to-back quarterfinal appearances during the Sunshine Double, including a run to the final at Indian Wells.
John Peers returns to the venue of his runner-up showing in 2015, in which he and Brit Jamie Murray lost the final in a match tiebreak. The former world No.2 pairs with last year’s finalist Hugo Nys for the first time and open against third seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash.
No Australian in doubles has won the tournament since Michael Hill in 2002.
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