New Delhi: Spanish teenager, Carlos Alcaraz won his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open and became the youngest man to ascend to the world’s number one ranking. The 19-year-old worked his way to a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final.
Carlos Alcaraz – Many Records
Alcaraz, the first teenager to get the top ranking, is the youngest Grand Slam men’s champion since Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open. The Spanish is also the youngest champion in New York since Pete Sampras in 1990.
After the win Alcaraz said, “This is something that I dreamt of since I was a kid — to be number one in the world, to be a champion of a Grand Slam.”
“This is something that I worked really really hard for. It’s tough to talk right now, a lot of emotions. This is something that I tried to achieve, all the hard work that I did with my team and my family. I’m just 19 and all the top decisions were taken by my parents and my team. This is something that is really, really special for me,” he added.
It was a difficult tournament for Alcaraz who also got the record for most time spent on the court at a single Grand Slam event, passing the 23 hours and 21 minutes it took Kevin Anderson to finish runner-up at Wimbledon in 2018. Most of his 23 hours and 40 minutes were taken up by the 13 hours it took him to play three successive five-setters to reach the final.
Rafael Nadal congratulates Carlos Alcaraz
The 22-time Slam title winner, Rafael Nadal congratulated the player who is widely seen as his heir by tweeting, “Congratulations @carlosalcaraz for your first Grand Slam and for number 1, which is the culmination of your great season, which I am sure will be many more.”
Felicidades @carlosalcaraz por tu primer Grand Slam y por el número 1 que es el colofón a tu primera gran temporada que estoy seguro serán muchas más! 👏🏻
Great effort @CasperRuud98 !very proud of you! Tough luck today but amazing tournament and season! Keep going!— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 11, 2022
Ruud lost his second in a Grand Slam final this year after he was beaten by Nadal in the French Open.
“Today was a special evening for both Carlos and I. We knew what was at stake, and I think it’s fitting both finalists will be number one and number two in the world. I’m happy with that number and I will continue to chase that ranking and my first Grand Slam,” the Norwegian said after the match.
