Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title on Sunday after beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the final of the US Open. With his first Major, the 19-year-old Spaniard has also become the youngest player to climb to World No 1 in the ATP rankings (since rankings put in place in 1973).
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.
The Spaniard, who ended up spending nearly 24 hours on the court in New York, closed out the first set inside 50 minutes. However, the toll of playing three five-set matches on the way to the final seemed to have an impact on the youngster as Ruud bounced back in the second set. He broke Alcaraz twice to take the second set 6-2.
Here are some reactions:
Felicidades @carlosalcaraz por tu primer Grand Slam y por el número 1 que es el colofón a tu primera gran temporada que estoy seguro serán muchas más! 👏🏻
Great effort @CasperRuud98 !very proud of you! Tough luck today but amazing tournament and season! Keep going!
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) September 11, 2022
Congratulations to @carlosalcaraz, the youngest #USOpen champion since…
