At just 19 years, Carlos Alcaraz’s win over Casper Ruud in New York on Sunday landed him the title of youngest world number one in men’s tennis history.
Alcaraz beat Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 for the trophy at Flushing Meadows and a rediscovery of joy for tennis.
As the expectations and pressures began to rise with his booming success, Alcaraz’s love for the sport turned into baggage. “I lost the joy a little bit. I felt the pressure,” he said. “I couldn’t smile on the court, which I’m doing in every match, every tournament. I came here just to enjoy, you know? To smile on the court, to enjoy playing tennis. I love playing tennis, of course. I would say if I smile, if I have fun out there, I saw my best level, my best tennis.”
Among his number one ranking, the teenage trailblazer was also now the youngest New York champion since Pete Sampras’ victory back in 1990.
“Well, this is something that I have dreamed of since I was a kid. It’s something I worked really, really hard for. It’s tough to talk to right now. A lot of emotions,” said Alcaraz after the life-changing match.
The Spanish professional tennis player made his debut in 2018 and has won six Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour singles titles.
“He was born to play this kind of tournament, born to play this kind of match,” said his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. “He’s a great competitor. He’s there. He’s trying all the time.”
Alcaraz will leave New York today after the media tour of Manhattan and hopefully celebrate his massive accomplishments while planning to dominate even further.
