19 Year Old Carlos Alcaraz Wins The US Open And Becomes The Youngest Man To Ever Be Ranked Number 1 In The World
Elsa. Getty Images.Alcaraz def. Ruud 6-4 2-6 7-6(1) 6-3
The sports world today was dominated by the NFL, but it was also the coronation of 19 year old tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz. The meteoric rise of this kid on the men's side of tennis came to its highest peak yet as he took down Casper Ruud in the US Open final today to win the title. With that win he also became the youngest man to ever be ranked number one in the world. Nuts.
It wasn't exactly a thriller against Ruud compared to his last few matches, but it wasn't straight forward either. Carlos had to work for this one with Ruud giving everything he could to make this a match.
Alcaraz's level dropped in the second and it made ya think maybe, just maybe he was finally giving out physically. I mean at some point he has to get tired, right? Nope, it was just a blip on the radar. The switch he's able to flip when he has to is simply ridiculous. He always has another gear to go to and his mental game NEVER cracks.
In the 3rd while facing a set point, Alcaraz needed to be special and that he was
Naturally in the tiebreaker Carlos steamrolled Ruud, raising his game to a level the Norwegian couldn't match. You really need to play a perfect game to beat him and even then the cards are still in his hands to take it from you. We haven't seen a guy this talented rise to this level since the Big 3 of Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer. I'm not going to jinx him and say this is the first of 30 grand slam titles, but my god if injuries don't get in the way this sport is his and it's going to be fun to watch.
Despite his age, this isn't the biggest of surprises if you follow tennis. He entered the tournament +500 to take home the hardware. I've blogged Carlos a lot in the last year. It was only a matter of time before he broke through and won a slam and it all came together in New York this year. What a performance all tournament long.
It's crazy to think it was just a year ago when he burst onto the scene, upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 US Open. I was fortunate enough to be in the building for that, along with this year's quarterfinal match against Jannik Sinner. Next year if you get a chance to see him in person, do not pass it up. It really is something else to watch this dude play tennis.
The sport is in great hands with this kid at the top. He is electrifying, able to chase down seemingly every shot, while also possessing a rocket of a forehand and solid backhand. If you're gonna pick a flaw I'd point to his serve, but it's clearly good enough to win a slam. The scariest part is he's only going to get stronger and better.
Vamos Carlos