Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday beating Casper Rudd 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 in New York. The victory also propelled Alcaraz to the top of the world rankings replacing Daniil Medvedev.
He becomes the youngest ever World No 1 and is the first teenager to hold the spot in the 49-year history of the rankings. Alcaraz is also the youngest winner of a Grand Slam title since Rafael Nadal won the French Open in 2005.
The Spaniard has been tipped as a potential superstar for years with his incredible athleticism and powerful hitting. This season he has become more well known to the mainstream tennis fans after some impressive performances in tournaments. His victory in New York will only enhance his reputation as the new star of the sport.
He gained many new fans over the two weeks in New York after winning three five-set epic matches in a row on the way to the final. Time will tell if Alcaraz can use his success as a launch pad to replace all-time greats Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic & Roger Federer as long-term world No 1.
The US Open was the final Grand Slam of 2022 and the next time the players will have chance to win a major tournament will be in January at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
“US Open 2008 : Arthur Ashe stadium at Flushing Meadows, NY.” by Dysanovic is licensed under CC BY 2.0.