Long live the king! It is a phrase that is heard more and more in this moment, now also in tennis. “Carlos I., new king of tennis” was the title of the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca” on Monday, the title of “ABC” was almost identical and even the media outside Spain recognized Carlos Alcaraz as the new ruler of the sport after defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the US Open final and became the youngest player to reach the top of the men’s world rankings at 19 years and four months.
It was an extraordinary conclusion to what was, in many ways, an extraordinary tournament. Out Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer because the first did not want to vaccinate and the second got injured; the current number one, Daniil Medvedev already started as Rafael Nadal, before Alcaraz the last Spanish number one in the world and before him the last teenager who was allowed to enter the list of winners of a tournament of the Grande Slam. It was 2005 and with it the beginning of an era in world tennis characterized by the struggle between the giants Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
With this US Open, there is no doubt that a new era has indeed begun, after this had been predicted for a long time, but then it did not happen one hundred percent.
Whether it will be the era of Carlos Alcaraz, no one can seriously predict at the moment. Medvedev, dethroned winner of the US Open and world number one, will also seek revenge Djokovic, who, despite the hype in January for his illegal entry into Australia, can hope to participate in the next edition in Melbourne; Despite all their problems, Nadal and Federer have not yet resigned.
Most importantly, Alcaraz leads an army of hungry young players, all eager to challenge him for his place in the sun. And if some points had gone differently, especially in the hard-fought third set, the game could have taken a different turn: now there would be a different number one. Despite the right congratulations to his conqueror, 23-year-old Ruud made no secret of his ambitions: “Even number 2 is not bad. But I will continue to try to win my first Grand Slam tournament and become number 1”. said the Norwegian, who only lost to Nadal in the French Open final in June.
The dream continues
However, many experts believe Alcaraz has the potential to remain at the top in the long term. His compatriot Nadal was one of the first to wish him the best on Twitter: “I’m sure there will be more on the way,” wrote the 22-time Grand Slam winner, whom Alcaraz resembles in terms of fighting spirit and mentality. Federer, on the other hand, would remember Djokovic’s “lightness and aggression” and “agility and endurance”, as tennis legend John McEnroe has said.
Carlos Alcaraz at the goal of his dreams – for the moment.
– © afp / afp / Julian Finney
The Murcia teenager has, if you will, combined the best of all tennis worlds: a puzzle hit to which he added another stone after his rapid rise over the past year and a half with his title in Miami ad April. It was his third of six tournament wins to date, his first on hard courts and his first in a Masters 1000 tournament. “At that moment I began to believe that not only could I play well, but I could also be a champion.” , he said.
The fact that he is now number one in the world with his first Grand Slam triumph is something I “always dreamed of”. And the dream can go on.
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