Carlos Alcaraz claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday night to become the youngest man to be ranked world No 1.
The Spanish teenager and his opponent Casper Ruud went into the match with both bidding for a first Grand Slam title and to top the rankings, and it was the 19-year-old who came out on top, winning 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alcaraz is more than a year younger than Lleyton Hewitt was when he topped the standings in 2001.
“This is something I dreamed of since I was a young kid. To be number one in the world, to be the champion of a Grand Slam,” said Alcaraz.
“All the hard work I did with my team, my family. I’m just 19 years old so a lot of the decisions are with my team, my parents. It’s something that is very special for me.”
Alcaraz admitted with a smile that he was “a little bit” tired, but said: “I always said it’s not time to be tired in the final round of a Grand Slam. You have to give everything on court, everything you have inside.”
Ruud vs Alcaraz: Match Stats
Ruud Match Stats Alcaraz
4 Aces 14
2 Double Faults 3
66% 1st serve win percentage 74%
65% 2nd serve win percentage 51%
3/10 Break points won 3/11
37 Total winners 55
29 Unforced errors 41
122 Total points won 127
Alcaraz, who burst into the spotlight by reaching the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows a year ago, showed he was ready to win the biggest titles by lifting Masters trophies in Miami and Madrid, where he beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back to back, and has proved himself to be a complete player despite his tender years.
