19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz claimed his maiden grand slam title after winning the US Open final in New York on Sunday, taking down No. 5 seed Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3.
With the win, Alcaraz has risen to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, surpassing Lleyton Hewitt to become the youngest world No. 1 in history at just 19 years and four months old.
“It’s something that I dreamed of since I was a kid—to be No. 1 in the world, to be the champion of a Grand Slam. It's something that I worked really, really hard [for]," Alcaraz said during the post-match trophy ceremony.
"It’s tough to talk right now, a lot of emotions.”
"This is something I tried to achieve, all the hard work I did with my team," Alcaraz said.
"I'm just 19 years old. All the tough decisions were with my parents and my team. This is something really special for me."
Alcaraz is the youngest Grand Slam champion since Rafael Nadal won Roland Garros in 2005 at 19-years-old as well, and the youngest US Open champ since a 19-year-old Pete Sampras in 1990.
Comments