Share This Article
It was a historic moment!
Carlos Alcaraz lifted the US Open trophy with a modest smile – certainly, the first Grand Slam won for the exceptional 19-year-old talent, and the Spaniard became the first teenager to reach the top of the rankings.
Alcaraz beat Norway’s Kasper Ruud 6:4, 2:6, 7:6 (7:1), and 6:3 in the final on Monday morning. “I dream of winning the Grand Slam tournament and my first tennis match since I started playing tennis. Now that I have reached my goal, it is difficult for me to talk about it,” said the Spaniard after the final.
New Record by Alcaraz
19-year-old Alcaraz is also a new record holder: so far, the youngest number one tennis player in men’s tennis was Australian Leighton Hewitt, who became number one in the ranking at the age of 20 years and nine months.
In addition, Alcaraz is the second teenager since Pete Sampras (1990) to win the US Open and the youngest Grand Slam winner since Rafael Nadal’s 2005 triumph in Paris.
Nadal was among the first to congratulate him: “I congratulate you with all my heart on your first triumph and first match at the Grand Slam tournament. I am sure you will have many more such successes.”
Notably, Ruud, who was also in the final of the French Open and is now the second seed, again missed the chance to become the first Norwegian to win a Grand Slam tournament and become the first seed. Only three Scandinavians have been at the top of the ranking, and all three Swedes are Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, and Mats Wilander.