rising career
The milestones of Alcaraz’s dazzling career are at the height of the beginning of the ‘Big 3′ (Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic) and now, with his first major title on the horizon, he is making a strong bid to lead a new era in men’s tennis.
“Congratulations Carlos Alcaraz for your first Grand Slam and for number 1, which is the culmination of your first great season, which I am sure will be many more!” Nadal immediately congratulated him on Twitter.
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Since the creation of the ATP ranking in 1973, alcaraz He is the 28th player to reach the top and the fourth Spaniard, after Nadal, Carlos Moyá and Juan Carlos Ferrero, the jewel coach.
In a nod to the sport, Ferrero had been the last tennis player to storm number one at the US Open and he also did so in 2003, the year his pupil Alcaraz was born.
The Spanish surpassed the precocity mark of the Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who reached the top in 2001 at the age of 20 years and nine monthsin an astonishing season in which he has won more titles (5) and games (51) than any rival.
against the ropes
In the waiting room of a historic double victory, Alcaraz started the game with his arm somewhat shrunken.
From the stands they did not take long to encourage their new protégé, with shouts of “Let’s go Carlos!” (Come on, Carlos), and the Spanish was tempering the nerves.
Alcaraz, who breathed with his first break, tried to introduce speed to the game but lacked spark in the face of the Norwegian’s consistency.
The Spaniard maintained his narrow lead to win the first set but in the second he seemed to be assailed by the physical and mental toll of his run in New York.
In his three games this week he was on court for 15 hours and 13 minutes, to Ruud’s 8:56, to survive night battles against Cilic, Tiafoe and Sinner, in which he saved a match point.
Ruud saw his chance and pocketed the second set, showing off even more subtleties typical of his rival.
On the third, Alcaraz saw how Ruud surpassed him until he advanced 4-5expressing his frustration with a racket shot to the net.
For the first time in the tournament Alcaraz saw how his rival came out the winner of the most brilliant and hectic exchanges, which brought to their feet a crowd full of celebrities.
With a 4-5 lead, Ruud enjoyed two set points in a fast-paced tiebreaker from which Alcaraz emerged victorious with a final stratospheric exchange that this time did fall on his side.
The Norwegian surrendered in the tiebreak with several well-deflected shots that allowed the Spaniard to advance with a comfortable 7-1 run.
In the last set Ruud gave up his serve in the sixth game and, after being defeated in June in Paris by Nadal, he now gave in to the new Spanish phenomenon
