He has backed up his intentions every step of the way and on Sunday night he completed his wild, thrilling run to his maiden grand slam title, withstanding a stiff challenge from Casper Rudd before continuing with his shooting and athleticism. He beat his Norwegian opponent 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 to win the US Open – and a grand slam title – for the first time in his young career. “It’s crazy to me. I never thought I would achieve something like this at 19,” Alcaraz said. “So everything came so fast. To me it is unbelievable. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was little, since I started playing tennis.” Having spent much of the last few years breaking age records, he will now take on the most impressive of all, one that could last for a long time. Alcaraz will rise to world No. 1 on Monday for the first time in his career, making him the youngest player to achieve the feat in ATP history. At 19 years and four months, the Spaniard is the first teenage No 1 the men’s competition has ever had and more than a year younger than the previous record holder, Lleyton Hewitt. The final marked the first time in the Open era that two players faced each other with a maiden grand slam title and the No. 1 ranking on the line. Alcaraz and the 23-year-old Rudd, who reached the French Open final earlier this year, also contested the second-youngest grand slam final in the Open era in terms of player age, behind only the 1990 US Open between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. While he had played the best tennis of this tournament by a long way, Alcaraz could not have faced a tougher week leading up to the final. Prior to the start of his bout with Roode, he had spent 20 hours and 20 minutes on the court and had competed in three consecutive five sets. The Spaniard was spectacular, but constantly complicated his course. As the final began this year, the question was whether he would eventually reach his physical limits. “I always say there’s no time to be tired,” Alcaraz said, smiling. “In the finals of the grand slam or any tournament. You have to give everything on the field, you have to give everything you have inside.” Alcaraz started the match playing free, aggressive tennis, unleashing his entire array of shots, constantly sweeping towards the net. Despite being a set down, Rudd was determined. The Norwegian absorbed and recovered what he could, staying steady, making high percentage decisions when attacking. In the process, Rudd came up with some great improvisational tennis, showing off his arm skills in the cat-and-mouse spots that Alcaraz started. By the end of the second set, Alcaraz was struggling slightly, attempting too many missed drop shots and making questionable decisions. As Alcaraz’s tennis looked on, Rude started to serve well, put more pace into his groundstrokes and dominated with his forehand. He made his move in a breathtaking game at 6-5, unleashing his forehand from all over the court as he bravely set up two set points. Carlos Alcaraz collapses on the floor after securing the win. Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images With his back against the wall, Alcaraz responded at the net, saving the first set point with a sweet forehand steal volley. Later in the game, a Ruud return was met by Alcaraz as he tried to serve and volley, which gave him a second set point. Without hesitation, the teenager again attempted to serve and volley, this time executing a well-timed volley to save the set. It was bold, and as he held serve with an uppercut after a thrilling point, the crowd responded with applause. Rood had thrown everything into the breaking serve and deflated immediately. He played a terrible tiebreak, his backhand letting him down badly. He had no answers for Alcaraz’s supreme, powerful shot as he cruised to victory. As Alcaraz collapsed to the ground, he sobbed into his hands as he thought of his mother and grandfather back home in Murcia. “I’m hungry for more. I want to be on top for many, many weeks. I hope many years,” Alcaraz said. “I will work hard again after this week, these amazing two weeks. I will fight to have more of them.” Not since Rafael Nadal’s initial rise, around the year of Alcaraz’s birth in 2003, has reaching the pinnacle of the sport been so certain. It’s been even more spectacular than expected, with Alcaraz displaying many layers of his greatness over the past two weeks, from his athleticism to his endless arsenal of shots to his nerve and the sheer joy he gets from the game. In a sport that often reduces teenagers to helpless cramps in their early years competing in five-set matches, he also showed unparalleled endurance throughout his 23 hours and 40 minutes on court. Alcaraz has given the world a thorough exhibition of his talent and potential and there seems to be no limit to what he can achieve next.
