Nineteen-year-old Carlos Alcaraz made history on Monday when he rose to No. 5 in the ATP rankings, becoming the second youngest player to reach the top five in the 21st century. The Spaniard is the youngest person to achieve the feat as his outstanding compatriot Rafael Nadal first broke into the top five in 2005, while still 18.
Alcaraz had a chance at world No 4 but had to settle for No 5 after losing in the Hamburg European Open final against Lorenzo Musetti.
While Daniil Medvedev remained world number one, 2022 Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic settled for seventh after being stripped of ranking points for banning Russian and Belarusian players from the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
“It means a lot. The hard work I do every day to reach my dreams, [No.] 1, And slowly I am reaching my dream. The top five to me are amazing and I will continue to [No.] 1” ATP.com quoted Alkaraz as saying. Spanish sensation Plava Laguna will look to win the top seeded title at the Croatia Open Umag.
“Of course, Umag is a special tournament for me. I got my first title there, so I am defending the title this year. But I am going to try to play my best and of course, take lessons from here “ Alkaraz said.