WATCH: The sensational best of teenaged Carlos Alcaraz

ATP Tour

James Richardson
May 5, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz has turned 20 ending a teenaged run unmatched since Rafael Nadal burst on the scene.

Alcaraz spent 20 weeks at the summit of the ATP Rankings after he rose to top spot for the first time following his 2022 US Open triumph.

He might return to the top as a 20-year-old next week in Rome, but he ended his teens with another win in Spain.

Alcaraz doesn’t give up on points, making him an extremely watchable player and someone who inspires great belief.

He was just 19 when he rose to No 1 in the ATP Rankings for the first time, making him the only teenager in the Open Era to top the men’s rankings.

Alcaraz was also just 18 when he lifted his maiden ATP Tour title in Umag, becoming the youngest tour-level champion since an 18-year-old Kei Nishikori won the ATP 250 in Delray Beach in 2008.

In a curious piece of alignment, he beat Botic van de Zandschulp on Court 17 when aged 17 while making his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the Australian Open in 2021.

Alcaraz downed Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(2) in Rio de Janeiro in 2020 on what was his ATP Tour debut.

His 2022 season was an incredible breakout campaign when he clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in Miami, becoming the youngest champion in that tournament’s history.

Incredibly Alcaraz has played a dozen ATP Tour finals as a teenager winning nine titles, earning 16 match wins over top ten players to boot.

After winning the title in Barcelona in 2022, the Spaniard rose into the Top 10 for the first time.

He was the youngest player to break into the Top 10 since Rafael Nadal did so 17 years ago, when he also won his maiden Barcelona title.

On his 20th birthday, Alcaraz competed in his sixth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final against Borna Coric in Madrid, downing the Croatian to reach his 13th ATP Tour final.

Alcaraz upset the event’s top three seeds, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Alexander Zverev, on his way to the Madrid title in 2022. He also became the first player to defeat both the Serbian and the Spaniard on clay in the same tournament and in successive matches.

Alcaraz defeated Tallon Griekspoor in Indian Wells in 2023 to become the second fastest player to reach the 100 Tour-level wins milestone, after only John McEnroe.

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Carlos Alcaraz