Tag: Carlos Alcaraz

RIO DE JANEIRO: World number two Carlos Alcaraz clawed back a break in both sets and dominated the tiebreaker to beat Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) on Friday in the ATP Rio Open quarterfinals.

The 19-year-old Spaniard notched his third win in three matches against 32-year-old Lajovic, including a quarterfinal win over the 80th-ranked Serbian in the quarterfinals at the Argentina Open last week.

Alcaraz went on to win that title to cement his return from a four-month injury layoff that saw him miss the Australian Open.

In the semifinals on Saturday, Alcaraz will face Chilean Qualifier Nicolas Jarry, who toppled sixth-seeded Sebastian Baez of Argentina 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

Alcaraz is seeking to defend the title that made him the youngest-ever winner of an ATP 500 tournament last year.

Second-seeded Briton Cameron Norrie booked his semifinal berth with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Bolivian Hugo Dellian.

Norrie, trying to reach his third final of the year, will face Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles, who beat compatriot Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Alcaraz improved his perfect record in 2023 to 7-0, but he had to figure some things out along the way.

“It was a very complicated match,” Alcaraz said. “Dusan has a great forehand, a great backhand, a great serve, very good shots, and today he has shown it, he has given a recital.

“But I was solid. In the end, I was very happy to have solved those problems.”

Alcaraz trailed 2-4 in both sets, reeling off the last four games of the first before finding himself in another battle in the second.

He belted 32 winners to Lajovic’s 13 and won 16 of 17 points at the net.

But 25 unforced errors contributed to the difficulties that saw him go down an early break in both sets.

In the second, he broke back with a stinging backhand winner to level the set at 4-4.

He led 40-0 in the 11th game only to surrender his serve and saved a set point on the way to a break in the next game that forced the tiebreaker.

“Those moments are where the very good players differ from the rest of the players, and I try to play at my highest level,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz, whose five titles last year included the US Open and made him the youngest-ever world number one, was dominant throughout the decider, putting it away on his first match point with a forehand passing winner.

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PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz said ending the year as the youngest ever tennis world number one was “an amazing achievement” and a reward for his hard work.

The Spaniard will be 19 years, 214 days on 5 December, the 2022 year-end ranking date when he will take the mantle of youngest from Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20 years, 275 days in 2001.

Alcaraz was assured of ending as number one on Tuesday when Casper Ruud overcame Taylor Fritz, which ensured Rafael Nadal could not reach the last four at the ATP Finals in Turin. The older Spaniard needed to win the tournament to finish the season number one.

Alcaraz started the year at 32 in the world and made the biggest rise to finish top in 50 years of the rankings. He was unable to play in Turin due to an abdominal injury.

He becomes the first player outside of the Big Four of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal to top the final rankings since Andy Roddick in 2003.

“It means a lot to me. I mean, to get this trophy, the world No. 1, to be part of tennis history along with a lot of legends, for me is an amazing feeling,” Alcaraz told a press conference on Wednesday.

“It’s an amazing achievement. I mean, all the hard work pays off.

“Yeah, for me it’s incredible to lift this trophy today.”

– ‘Improve a lot’ –

Ending the year as the youngest ever number one is just the latest landmark for the modest, muscular star from the small Murcian town of El Palmar.

Alcaraz learned the game at a tennis school run by his father.

Alcaraz hit the giant-killing jackpot at Madrid in May when he became the only man to beat both Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court event.

When he broke into the world top five in July, he was the youngest man to do so since 2005.

His coach former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero believes that if Alcaraz stays fit, he is capable of winning 30 Grand Slam titles. Nadal holds the record at 22.

Despite the frustration of being unable to play this week, Alcaraz said he has been encouraged by the speed with which his injury is healing.

“It is going really well,” he said.

“It is going really fast, as well.

“I could say in a week we improve a lot in the injury.

“I’m going to say at the beginning of the season, I’m going to be ready, I’m going to be 100 per cent.”

Alcaraz said he will, after the holidays, dispense with any lead-up tournaments and go straight to the Australian Open which begins on January 16 in Melbourne.

Alcaraz reached the third round in this year’s edition

“After the holidays, I am focused on the pre-season, I’m focused on improving, starting the Australian Open as best I can.

“I don’t know how the injury is going to go. But I could say I go directly to Australian Open.”

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PARIS: Spain reigns at the summit of men’s tennis with Carlos Alcaraz holding world number one spot in the ATP rankings released on Monday with compatriot Rafael Nadal moving back up to second.

Nadal, 36, benefited from Casper Ruud’s quarter-final exit in Seoul where he was top seed, to move ahead of the Norwegian.

Novak Djokovic, winner of his third tournament this season in Tel Aviv, stays seventh but scores 250 precious points in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, his end-of-season goal.

The Serb was competing in his first singles tournament in Israel since claiming a seventh Wimbledon crown in July, and can still earn points this week in the Astana ATP tournament.

Croat Marin Cilic gained two places moving from 16th to 14th, thanks to his reaching the final in Tel Aviv.

Rankings:

1. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 6740 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5810 (+1)

3. Casper Ruud (NOR) 5645 (-1)

4. Daniil Medvedev 5065

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 5040

6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4810

7. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3820

8. Cameron Norrie (GBR) 3445

9. Andrey Rublev 3345

10. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3175 (+1)

11. Taylor Fritz (USA) 3055 (+1)

12. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 3040 (-2)

13. Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 2950

14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2495 (+2)

15. Pablo Carreño (ESP) 2360 (-1)

16. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2360 (-1)

17. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2110

18. Karen Khachanov 1990

19. Frances Tiafoe (USA) 1940

20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 1780

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VALENCIA: Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest men’s tennis world number one in history at 19 after his US Open triumph last week, had a bittersweet homecoming as he lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2 in the Davis Cup in Valencia on Friday.

Given an ovation by fervent home support after his first Grand Slam conquest on Saturday, the Spaniard and his Canadian opponent played out a thrilling second singles rubber, with Canada levelling the tie at 1-1.

Alcaraz, from nearby Murcia, had watched from the sidelines on Wednesday as Spain beat Serbia 3-0.

On Friday, he was neck and neck with his Canadian opponent through the first set as both players served strongly.

The Canadian was particularly unforgiving, hitting seven aces in the first set and winning 79 percent of his service points, yet Alcaraz battled back every time to force a tie-break.

In the tiebreak, Auger-Aliassime earned a mini-break to take the lead but the persistent Spaniard turned it around and clinched the set with a fierce forehand drive down the line.

The second set was brilliantly and evenly contested too, until Auger-Aliassime broke to move 5-4 up. He then served out.

In the third, Alcaraz tired, perhaps unsurprisingly after his marathon matches in New York, and world number 13 Auger-Aliassime broke straight away and then again to go 4-1 ahead, holding off the Spaniard despite strong encouragement from the crowd.

Roberto Bautista had put Spain 1-0 up in the tie after coming from behind to beat Vasek Pospisil 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 earlier.

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NEW YORK: Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday and became the youngest man to ascend to the world number one ranking.

The 19-year-old dragged his weary body to a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final.

Alcaraz, the first teenager to claim the top ranking, is the youngest Grand Slam men’s champion since Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open after a performance which yielded 55 winners and 14 aces.

On a day of landmarks, he is also the youngest champion in New York since Pete Sampras in 1990.

It was a gruelling tournament for Alcaraz who claimed the record for most time spent on court at a single Grand Slam event, passing the 23 hours and 21 minutes it took Kevin Anderson to finish runner-up at Wimbledon in 2018.

Defeat for Ruud, who was also vying for the world number one ranking, was his second in a Slam final this year after he was routed by Nadal in the French Open.

With the roof closed, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd observed a moving moment’s silence on the 21st anniversary of the September 11 attacks before the final got off to a tentative start.

Both men saved break points in their opening service games before Alcaraz gained the only break of the first set for a key 3-1 lead.

Ruud dropped the set but triumphed in terms of sportsmanship when he called a double bounce on himself in the eighth game, conceding the point to the Spaniard.

Alcaraz served it out to love and a one set lead courtesy of his 13 winners to six for the Norwegian.

The Spanish teenager, who went into the final with a 2-0 winning record over Ruud, squandered a break point at 2-2 in the second set.

Ruud made him pay, edging ahead for 4-2 and then levelling the final on a second set point after another careless Alcaraz drop-shot opened the court invitingly for the Norwegian.

At that moment, Alcaraz had been on court at the tournament for almost 22 hours, passing the mark set by Andy Murray when the Briton claimed the 2012 title.

He was ahead for 2-0 in the third set before Ruud hit back.

The 23-year-old Norwegian had two set points in an 11-minute 12th game but was unable to convert as Alcaraz put away inch-perfect, back-to-back volleys.

Alcaraz made the most of his reprieve, racing through to his first tiebreak success of the tournament as Ruud’s game fell suddenly apart.

The Spaniard sensed his chance, breaking for 4-2 in the fourth set before taking his aces count to 12 to lead 5-2.

Ruud held to love but Alcaraz claimed his slice of history on a second match point before collapsing to the court in celebration.

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NEW YORK: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Frances Tiafoe in a gladiatorial US Open semi-final on Friday, setting up a showdown for the title and world number one ranking against Casper Ruud.

The 19-year-old Spaniard triumphed 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 to become the youngest men’s Grand Slam finalist since compatriot Rafael Nadal captured the first of his 22 Slams at the 2005 French Open.

Norway’s seventh-ranked Ruud earlier defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to also reach his first Grand Slam final.

Tiafoe went down fighting, however, saving three match points and retrieving breaks in both of the last two sets.

“We are in the semi-final of a Grand Slam, we have to give everything we have inside, we have to fight until the last ball,” said Alcaraz, the youngest US Open finalist since Pete Sampras in 1990.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re fighting for five hours or six hours. It doesn’t matter, you have to give everything on the court.”

For Alcaraz, who unleashed 59 winners, it was his third successive five-setter as he closes in on a maiden Slam and becoming the youngest ever world number one.

“It’s my first time in a final of a Grand Slam. I can see the number one in the world, but at the same time it’s so far away,” he added.

“I’m going to give everything that I have. I will have to handle the nerves of being in the final of a Grand Slam but obviously I’m really happy.”

“I gave everything I had, too good from Carlos tonight,” said Tiafoe.

“Honestly I came here wanting to win the US Open, I feel like I let you guys down. This one really hurts.”

Alcaraz saw two break points come and go in the seventh game of the opener before needing to save a set point in the 12th which featured a breathtaking rally that the Spaniard claimed from two seemingly losing positions.

The teenager saved three more set points in the tiebreak but Tiafoe converted his fifth when Alcaraz served up his third double fault of the 64-minute opener.

Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game of the second set, at one stage stretching for a winning point with his back facing Tiafoe to win another memorable rally.

His flamboyance was rewarded when he broke for 4-2 on his way to levelling the semi-final thanks to Tiafoe burying a return in the net.

Alcaraz had needed nine hours and 10 sets in his last two rounds, including a quarter-final which finished at 2:50 a.m. Thursday, to reach the semi-final.

However, he looked the fresher of the two men when he raced to a double break, 4-0 lead in the third set, allowing Tiafoe just three points.

For good measure, Alcaraz broke the American a third time in the seventh game.

World number 26 Tiafoe, who knocked Nadal out of the tournament in the last-16, was hoping to become the first American man in a major final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.

He gamely retrieved two breaks in the fourth set, saved a match point in the 10th game with a nerveless drop shot before claiming the tiebreak to send the clash into a decider.

It was an eighth successful tiebreak out of eight for the American.

Alcaraz broke for 2-0 in the fifth set only for Tiafoe to again claw his way back to 2-2.

The American, however, double-faulted to hand the advantage back in the fifth game.

Tiafoe saved two more match points in the ninth game before Alcaraz went on to seal victory in four hours and 19 minutes when his opponent netted a weary backhand.

Ruud will be appearing in his second Grand Slam final of the season after finishing runner-up to Nadal at the French Open in June.

“After Roland Garros, I was extremely happy but at the same time humble enough to think that could be my only final in a Grand Slam in my career,” said Ruud.

“They don’t come easy. So here I am a couple of months later – it feels beyond words to describe.”

The 23-year-old Norwegian set the tone for his dominance early in the semi-final when he came out on top in a 55-shot rally to convert a third set point in the opening tiebreak which his Russian rival described as “crazy”.

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LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz was confirmed on Monday as the youngest player to break into the ATP top five since Rafael Nadal after the teenager reached the Hamburg final over the weekend.

The 19-year-old Spaniard is the youngest man to achieve the feat since his illustrious compatriot first climbed into the top five in 2005 while still 18.

Alcaraz failed to win the clay-court title in Germany, though, losing to Italian youngster Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday despite saving five match points.

Musetti rose 31 places to 31st in the rankings and is now set to be seeded for the US Open, which starts on August 29.

Daniil Medvedev remains the world number one, with Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic seventh after the grass-court Grand Slam tournament was stripped of ranking points for banning Russian and Belarusian players.

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LONDON: The Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz carried on his wonderful in the ongoing Wimbledon as he outclassed his German opponent Oscar Otte 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to storm into the fourth round of the marquee event.

In the third-round clash, Alcaraz displayed sheer dominance over Otte and made sure to improvise his Wimbledon by storming into the fourth round for the first time.

Following his qualification in the last 16, Alcaraz has also become the youngest to reach that stage in the iconic event since Bernard Tomic reached the 2011 quarter-finals at the age of 18.

The Spaniard will now lock horns with the 10th seed Jannik Sinner in a bid to qualify for the quarters for the first time.

In his one of the most perfect matches, Alcaraz left no chance for the 32nd seed Otte and dominated in all three sets before running away with the victory in one hour and 38 minutes.

Following his powerful and precise hitting, the teenager finished with 37 winners and just eight unforced errors, winning 88 per cent (35/40) of his first-serve points.

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LONDON: Defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic became the first player to win 80 matches at all four Grand Slams on Monday while teenage star Carlos Alcaraz battled over five sets to make the second round.

Six-time champion and top seed Djokovic saw off South Korea’s Kwon Soo-woo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

But 20-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was made to work after falling a break down in the opening two sets against his 81st-ranked opponent — losing the second of those.

“Now we have got to 80 wins, let’s get to 100,” said Djokovic, who praised an opponent whose love of karaoke led to an appearance on the South Korean version of TV hit “The Masked Singer” last month.

Djokovic, 35, is attempting to win a fourth successive Wimbledon title and join a select group.

In the Open era, only Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer have managed such a streak at the All England Club.

Alcaraz, a potential quarter-final opponent for Djokovic, came back from two sets to one down to defeat Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

The 19-year-old fired 30 aces and 73 winners in a dazzling display of shot-making to win 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

“Last year, I played five sets in the first round here as well so this shows how much I like grass,” joked Alcaraz.

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MADRID: The 18-years-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz carried on his red-hot form to defeat his German counterpart Alexander Zverev to claim Madrid Open title, here on Sunday.

Alcaraz, who defeated the veteran Rafael Nadal and the World No.1 Novak Djokovic on his way to the final – becoming the first player to achieve this rare feat- thrashed Zverev 6-3, 6-1 to capture his second ATP Masters 1000 tile of the season.

TEEN TAKEOVER IN MADRID 🏆

Carlos Alcaraz wins his second ATP Masters 1000 title 👏

@alcarazcarlos03 | @MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/znQfSSg8bo

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 8, 2022

 

The Spaniard showcased his versatility and athleticism by outlasting Zverev with his persistent hitting for his eighth straight Top 10 victory and Tour-leading fourth title of the season.

Following this triumph, the 19-years-old became the second-youngest player to win two ATP Masters 1000 titles as he captured the Miami Open title in March. His countryman Nadal is still the youngest player to achieve this feat as he captured crowns in Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005 at an age of 18. Alcaraz is also the youngest ever player to win the Madrid Open.

The youngest EVER champion in Madrid 🏆

Take a bow, Carlos Alcaraz 👏

@alcarazcarlos03 | @MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/wSJthgQysB

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 8, 2022

 

Alcaraz is likely to reach a career-high No. 6 in the ATP Rankings on Monday after winning five tour-level tournaments.

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