On a tremendous memorable evening at the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz defeats Casper Ruud 6-4 2-6 7-6(1) 6-3 to achieve his first grand slam trophy and become the #1 ranked player in the world.
It was not an easy win for Alcaraz, though. Before the US Open, the nineteen-year-old had squandered two finals, losing to Lorenzo Musetti at the German Open and Jannik Sinner at the Croatia Open. Things seemed to getting worse for Alcaraz as he lost first round at the Canadian Open to Tommy Paul and the quarterfinals against Cameron Norrie. Regardless, Alcaraz came into the US Open with confidence and knowledge of what was at stake.
With people all around the world watching this final, the Spanish prodigy hit with massive power and used very impressive touch around the net, winning 76% of net points to defeat Casper Ruud. He played very aggressively, deftly handling pressure in many parts of the game to seal the win after three hours and twenty minutes. A speechless emotional Alcaraz dropped to the floor with this historic victory as he received applause and roars of support from the New York crowd. With this victory, he became the world’s youngest #1 ever.
“It is something I have dreamt of since I was a kid. To be number 1 in the world, to be champion of a grand slam, is something I have worked really, really hard for,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony. “It is tough to talk right now, I have lots of emotions. This is something I have tried to achieve. All the hard work I have done with my team and my family. I am just nineteen-years-old, all the tough decisions have been with my parents and my team as well. It is something that is really special to me.”
Alcaraz’s road in the US Open was not an easy one. He won three 5-set matches to win the grand slam even saving a match point. He spent twenty hours and nineteen minutes on court across all six matches but still showed little sign of fatigue to defeat Ruud.
Alcaraz knows that it takes hard work to achieve something so big and that there’s no time to feel tired. “There is no time to be tired in the final rounds of a grand slam… You have to be ready and give everything you have inside. It is something I work really hard for,” Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz has become the youngest grand slam champion since his fellow countryman Rafael Nadal lifted the trophy at the French Open 2005 when he was just nineteen. He is the youngest US open winner since Pete Sampras won at the age of nineteen in 1990.
Alcaraz knows it takes dedication and lots of hard work to maintain his position as top in the world. “It is an amazing feeling, but I need to keep working hard” Alcaraz said. Regardless, Alcaraz has reached an achievement no one has achieved before and is ready to make the next generation bright.