Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest tennis player ever to take the No. 1 position among the world’s top touring pros, the benefit of besting Casper Ruud at the U.S. Open on Sunday.
At 19, the Spaniard is also the only men’s teenager to top the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, with women giving the world much younger tour leaders for decades.
Spain’s Alcaraz on Sunday beat Norway’s Casper Ruud, 23, in the U.S. Open final 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3, a well-matched battle that would have seen either player, ranked third and fifth respectively, take the No. 1 spot.
After Alcaraz won a third set tie-break to go up two sets to one, he owned the fourth set, pulling away to 5-3 to serve for the championship. A service ace gave him the win.
Before Rafael Nadal was ousted from the Open in the fourth round by American Frances Tiafoe, the top spot was the fellow Spaniard’s for the taking.
Alcaraz beat Tiafoe in a marathon semifinal match, earning his shot at No. 1.
Alcaraz’s ascension amid years of domination by 36-year-old Nadal, the player with more grand slam wins than any other in the sport’s history, means the teenager’s doing his part, including modeling his arsenal after Nadal’s, to keep Spain dominant.
It was Alcaraz’s Nadal-like toolbox, mental coolness, muscular physicality, and groundstroke balls that weigh a ton, that put him in Arthur Ashe Stadium Sunday and put his name on the Open’s Tiffany & Co. champion’s trophy.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
