- wording
- BBC News World
Updated 4 hours
image source, Archyde.com
It was the great promise of world tennis and this Sunday it became a reality.
The Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, with only 19 years, won the US Open following defeating the Norwegian Casper Ruud in New York, becoming the youngest tennis player to win a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal was crowned at Roland Garros in 2005.
And not only that. This Monday will be number one in the ATP ranking, being the youngest tennis player to achieve it since that classification was established in 1973.
Alcaraz won the final this Sunday by 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-1) y 6-3.
The young Spanish tennis player came from playing 3 games to 5 sets in the round of 16, quarters and semifinals, once morest the Croatian Marin Cilic, the Italian Jannik Sinner and the American Frances Tiafoe, respectively.
image source, Archyde.com
tennis promise
Alcaraz, born in the Spanish region of Murcia on May 5, 2003, already showed his potential last year by reaching the quarterfinals at the US Open.
To reach number one in the world, this 2022 Alcaraz won the titles in the tournaments of Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Madrid, Barcelona and now New York.
His compatriot Rafael Nadal, the player with the highest number of Grand Slams in history (22), congratulated him on Twitter as soon as his victory at the US Open was known.
“Congratulations @carlosalcaraz for your first Grand Slam and for number 1, which is the culmination of your first great season, which I am sure will be many more!” wrote Nadal, who also congratulated Casper Ruud, who trains at the academy that the athlete has on the island of Mallorca.
Casper Ruud, 23, would have become the new world number one if he had won this Sunday, but now has lost two Grand Slam finalsfollowing being defeated by Nadal at Roland Garros in June.
Alcaraz, with his powerful punches and extraordinary defense and athleticism, has long been considered a promise.
In recent years his coach has been another former world number one, the Spanish Juan Carlos Ferrero.
image source, Archyde.com
Alcaraz and Casper Ruud at the award ceremony.
Over the last two weeks he has shown his talent and heart to win over new fans, demonstrating why many consider him the player best placed to replace Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the top of men’s tennis in the coming years.
In the women’s draw, the Polish Iga Świątek defeated the Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the final this Saturday, thus achieving her third Grand Slam, following the titles at Roland Garros in 2020 and 2022.
