Tennis: the prodigy Carlos Alcaraz offers the US Open and takes power

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in his US Open final against Norwegian Casper Ruud on September 11, 2022 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

REUTERS - MIKE SEGAR

Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow

4 mins

Winner of the Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open (6-4, 2-6, 7-6 [1], 6-3), Sunday September 11, Carlos Alcaraz gets his hands on the first Grand Slam title of his career.

With this coronation, the 19-year-old Spaniard reaches the place of world number one.

He is the youngest player to reach this position in the history of tennis.

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Youth at the top of the tennis planet.

If the legends Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have taken control of the first three Grand Slam tournaments this year (Australian Open and Roland-Garros for the Mallorcan, Wimbledon for the "Djoker"), the US Open 2022 has fallen. in the purse of a small phenomenon aged less than 20 years.

 triumphed at Flushing Meadows on Sunday 11 September.

World number four before the start of the tournament, who defeated Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe in dantesque encounters in the quarters and then in the semi-finals, the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero had a serious client facing him in the final: Casper Ruud, number seven world champion and finalist at Roland-Garros in June.

On Parisian clay,

, the master of the place.

In New York, the deal was different against the young Spaniard.

Dantesque battle in the third set

Despite a tough run in this last Grand Slam of the year, during which he spent more than 8:30 p.m. on the courts (compared to 6:30 p.m. for his opponent), Carlos Alcaraz quickly took the lead in the first set.

He seized Ruud's serve and played flawlessly to maintain that advantage until the end and win the first set in 50 minutes.

The tide turned in favor of the Norwegian in the second set.

Ruud regained his senses, unleashed huge shots on return of serve and equalized in 40 minutes.

The physical freshness of the native of Oslo was seen on the court of the Arthur-Ashe stadium.

Jostled, nervous, Alcaraz seemed on a wire for long minutes, having to fight on each point to stay in contact.

With forceps, the Spaniard saved two set points and led Ruud to the tie break, which he won with authority.

He then had control of the match in hand, this time for good.

Alcaraz rises to the top by obliterating Hewitt

Electrified by winning the third round, Carlos Alcaraz did not give Casper Ruud the opportunity to resurface.

At 3-2 in the fourth set, he converted his first break point and took a decisive step towards the title.

His opponent could do nothing to stop the machine.

And after a missed first title shot, Carlos Alcaraz won with a powerful ace (6-4, 2-6, 7-6 [1], 6-3, 3h23 into the game).

At 19 years, 4 months and 7 days, the Spaniard offers himself the first Grand Slam of his career and succeeds the Russian Daniil Medvedev.

And that's not all: this victory allows him to reach the rank of world number one.

Carlos Alcaraz thus becomes the youngest player to reach this position in the history of tennis, beating Lleyton Hewitt's record for precociousness.

The Australian was 20 years, 8 months and 23 days old when he became world number one in November 2001. Already winner of two Masters 1000 this year, Carlos Alcaraz strikes a huge blow with this US Open and this new status at the top of the 'ATP.

The American public may well have witnessed the birth of a new cador.

GO!

@carlosalcaraz wins the #USOpen in four sets.

pic.twitter.com/87HZpoF5V5

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 11, 2022

LIST OF PLAYERS WHO REACHED WORLD NUMBER ONE PLACE

by order of accession (in the Open era)

Ilie Nastase (Romania), John Newcombe (Australia), Jimmy Connors (USA), Björn Borg (Sweden), John McEnroe (USA), Ivna Lendl (Czech Republic), Mats Wilander (Sweden), Stefan Edberg ( Sweden), Boris Becker (Germany), Jim Courier (USA), Pete Sampras (USA), Andre Agassi (USA), Thomas Muster (Austria), Marcelo Rios (Chile), Carlos Moya (Spain) , Yevgueni Kafelnikov (Russia), Patrick Rafter (Australia), Marat Safin (Russia), Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil), Lleyton Hewitt (Australia), Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain), Andy Roddick (United States), Roger Federer (Switzerland ), Rafael Nadal (Spain), Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Andy Murray (Scotland), Daniil Medvedev (Russia).

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