Carlos Alcaraz wins first Slam title, US Open to top-ranked

On his way out for his first Grand Slam final at the age of 19, Carlos Alcarz punched fans leaning on railings on the way to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Moments later, after tossing the coin, Alcaraz sprinted toward the baseline for a warmup until called back over the net by the chair umpire for customary pre-match photos.

In skill, speed, stamina and not to mention Sangfreud, Alkaraz is imbued with boundless enthusiasm and energy. And now he is the US Open champion and the No. 1 player in men’s tennis.

Using his unusual combination of moxie and maturity, Alcaraz defeated Casper Roode 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 on Sunday to earn the trophy at Flushing Meadows and lead the ATP. became the youngest person. Ranking.

“Well, that’s something I’ve dreamed of since childhood,” said Alcaraz, which people of a certain age may still consider a child. “It’s something I’ve worked really hard (for). It’s hard to talk about right now. So many emotions.”

Someone in the decades-dominated game of the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer has already garnered a lot of attention as the Next Big Thing.

The Spaniard was called “Ole, ole, ole! Carlos!” which reverberated from the closed ceiling of the arena – and Alcarz would often prompt the audience to speak aloud. There were a few magic points that drew a standing ovation, including one Alcarz lost with a laser of an on-the-run forehand while ending up face-down on his stomach.

He showed signs of fatigue from three consecutive five-setters in the three rounds just before the final; No one had gone through that rough road in 30 years on their way to the title in New York.

Alcaraz entered five sets against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round, which ended at 2.23 a.m. Tuesday; against Janik Sinar in the quarterfinals, a 5-hour, 15-minute thriller that ended at 2.50 on Friday when Alcaraz needed to save a match point; and against Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals.

“You have to give everything on the court. You have to give everything that is inside you. I actually worked really hard to earn it,” Alkaraj said. “This is no time to be tired.”

However, it was not a walk to the end.

Alkaraj dropped the second set and faced a pair of set points while going down 6-5 in the third. The outcome could have been a turning point.

But he wiped out every one of the set-to-the-set opportunities for Rood with the type of quick-reflex, soft-handed volley he displayed over and over again.

And in the ensuing tiebreaker, with the help of a series of legs by Rood, Alcarz rose to the end of that set.

A break in fourth was the only Grand Slam final victory for Alcaraz, the first major championship between the two players and the quest for both the top spot in the ATP’s computerized rankings, which date back to 1973.

The winner was guaranteed first place in Monday’s rankings; The loser was guaranteed to be second.

“Both Carlos and I, we knew what we were playing for. We knew what was at stake,” Roode said. “I think it’s okay. Of course, I’m disappointed that I’m not No. 1, but No. 2 isn’t too bad either.”

He is the 23-year-old from Norway who is now leading 0-2 in the Slam final. He was Nadal’s runner-up at the French Open in June.

Like Nadal, Rudd stood too close to the wall to serve, but much higher than Alcarz, who attacked when possible, during Sunday’s issue.

Alcaraz chases down Roode’s weak side, a backhand, and similarly finds success.

If nothing else, Roode receives a sportsmanship award for acknowledging a point he knew didn’t deserve it. This happened when he was trailing 4-3 in the first set; He ran towards a small ball which bounced twice before touching his racket. The game continued, and Alkaraz hesitated and then reacted. Rudd told the chair umpire what had happened, giving points to Alcaraz, who gave his enemy a thumbs-up and applauded along with the crowd.

Alcaraz certainly appears to be a rare talent, having an all-court game that blends groundstroke power with a willingness to advance. He won 34 of the 45 he finished in the nets.

He is fast becoming a threat while serving – he delivered 14 aces up to 128 mph – and returning, earned 11 break points, converting three.

Make no mistake: Rudd is no slouch. There’s a reason he’s the youngest man since Nadal to reach two major finals in a season and managed to win the tournament’s longest 55-shot point win in the semifinals.

But it was time for Alkraj to shine in the light.

Some perspective: He is the first teenager since Pete Sampras in 1990 to win the US Open and the first since Nadal at the 2005 French Open to win at any Slam.

Its a decent company.

Here’s another way to understand how untimely Alcarz is: the last man to win the tournament in his first or second appearance was Pancho González in 1948, before the pros were allowed to take the field.

In terms of rankings, it is helpful to know that Novak Djokovic did not play in the US Open or Australian Open this year, was unable to enter countries because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, and has no ranking for himself. Boost was not found. The Wimbledon Championships were no points for anyone after the All England Club banned athletes from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine.

Regardless of the circumstances, it is significant that Alkaraz is the first male teenager to be ranked No.

Nobody else did. No Nadal, no Djokovic, no Federer, no Sampras. nobody.

When a last serve winner glanced at Rudd’s frame on Sunday, Alcarz fell on his back on the court, then rolled onto his stomach, covering his face with his hands.

He stood to embrace his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who won the French Open in 2003 and reached the final of that year’s US Open, and others, crying all the time, with their coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

You only get to number 1 once the first time. You win the first Grand Slam title only once. Many people expect Alcarz to celebrate such feats for years to come.