The ATP Barcelona Open 2026 edition is well underway, and Day 2 promises to be an action-packed day with the top seeds in action. As ever, we preview and predict all the scheduled matches for you.
ATP Barcelona Day 2 Predictions
Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-head – Cerundolo 0-1 Nakashima
Juan Manuel Cerundolo did well to come through qualifying without dropping a set, and the Argentine will look to continue the same form in the main draw. He faces Brandon Nakashima, who has failed to impress after making a strong start to the year. The slower clay courts will no doubt suit Cerundolo who has a good defensive game style from the baseline and given that he has already played two matches this week, expect Nakashima to struggle this match.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 3
Sebastian Baez vs Tomas Machac
Head-to-head – Baez 0-1 Machac
This one will be an interesting battle to watch. Sebastian Baez is a fantastic player on clay and so is Tomas Machac. These two met once before last year at the Monte Carlo Masters which Machac won in three sets. Expect a lot of long baseline rallies as Baez is going to defend well and Machac will look to try to gain early advantage with his aggressive gamestyle. Baez will tough it out for a set but Machac should be more consistent and attacking to get the win.
Prediction: Machac in 3
Carlos Alcaraz vs Otto Virtanen
Head-to-head – First Meeting
This will be a stern test for Otto Virtanen. The Finnish 24-year-old qualified for the main draw but would have loved to not have faced the reigning French Open champion in Carlos Alcaraz. For the Spaniard, the loss in the Monte Carlo final will hurt, but it is a long clay court season and he will likely know what needs to be done to be completely ready. As a first step, Alcaraz will likely make short work of Virtanen in front of his home crowd, who should come out in huge numbers to support him.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
