Call him “the Iberian-fast”, for his speed on the court and his precocity. Carlos Alcaraz, 19, won the US Open in tennis on Sunday night in New York. He defeated the Norwegian Casper Ruud in four sets (6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3) then collapsed with happiness on the Arthur-Ashe court. The Spanish prodigy does double duty: he wins his first Grand Slam tournament, and becomes the youngest world number one in history.
“Incredible to leave a trace in history” – moved, Carlos Alcaraz
After collapsing on the court, his eyes filled with tears at the moment of Casper Ruud’s last foul, the Spaniard came to his senses and realized his feat. He won his first Grand Slam but above all become the youngest world number 1 in the history of tennis. “That’s crazy. I would never have imagined achieving this at 19 years old. It all happened so fast. It’s incredible“, he reacts after his victory. He does better than the legends John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, André Agassi, Roger Federer or even Rafael Nadal, who praised the performance of his young compatriot. “Congratulations on your first Grand Slam title and your number 1 spotreacted this night the bull of Manacor. This is the culmination of your first big season. I’m sure there will be many more.”
I think he’s at 60% of his potential – his trainer
It must be said that the kid from El Palmar, near Murcia in the south of Spain, worked during this US Open 2022: he spent 11:40 p.m. in all on the court since the start of the tournament. For his trainer Juan Carlos Ferrero, former world number 1 and winner of Roland-Garros in 2003, Alcaraz is only at the beginning of its rise : “I think he’s at 60% of his potential. He can still improve a lot of things. He knows, and I know, that we have to keep working.” A new era of tennis is about to begin, with Carlos Alcaraz headlining.