Carlos Alcaraz makes tennis history as he wins US Open to take world number one spot
Carlos Alcaraz made tennis history as he became the youngest player to ever get to world number one after he won the US Open.
The 19-year-old faced Casper Ruud in a winner-takes-all match-up, with both players vying for a maiden major as well as a top spot in the rankings.
It proved to be a tight affair, with both players enjoying strong spells followed by lulls in their performance level.
However, it was Carlos Alcaraz who came out on top in more of the key moments, including a crucial third-set tiebreaker, and he emerges with a historic success.
"This is something I have dreamt of since I was a kid, to be number one in the world, to be a champion of a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz said. “It is tough to talk right now. There are a lot of emotions right now.
© Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
"It is something I have tried to achieve. All the hard work I have done. I am just 19 years old so the top decisions are with my team and my parents. It is really special for me.
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"My Mum is not here, and my grandfather. I was thinking about them. A lot of my family are here but there are a lot of people from my family that couldn't come here to watch the final and I was thinking of them."
Remarkably, Carlos Alcaraz spent 23 hours 40 minutes on court during the tournament, including three back-to-back five set thrillers.
There were moments he looked fatigued in the final, but he still found the energy to finish the stronger.
"I always said there was no time to be tired in the final run of a tournament,” he said.
"You have to give everything on court, everything you have inside. It is something I have worked really hard for and it is not time to be tired."
Alcaraz is the second youngest male US Open champion in history after Pete Sampras.
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