Interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has certainly become the talk of tennis, as he continues to impress the fans. So, let’s look at some interesting facts you probably didn’t know about the reigning US Open champion.
Alcaraz is a native of the village of El Palmer in Spain. He picked up the game of tennis by training in a facility run by his father, who was a semi-pro.
He began his professional career in 2018 at the age of 17. Since then, he has gone on to win eight titles with his first one coming in Umag in 2021, followed by an impressive 2022 campaign
The teenage sensation claimed five trophies that year, starting in Rio de Janeiro, then he lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Miami, followed by the Barcelona Open, then he added another ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid, and closed off the year by winning the US Open.
This year the rising star has won two titles, one in Buenos Aires and the other at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells Open.
Alcaraz is the first man born in the 2000s to win a major; not only that, but he is also the third man born in 1990 or later to have achieved such a feat. The other two are 2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem, born in 1993, and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, born in 1996.
He is also the fourth player – male or female – born in the 2000s to win a major, after Bianca Andreescu, Iga Swiatek, and Emma Raducanu.
Alcaraz is also the second teenager to win the US Open men’s title in the Open Era and the first since Pete Sampras won it in 1990.
The Spaniard is the first man to win a Grand Slam title after facing match points since Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019. Alcaraz claimed a quarter-final victory over Jannik Sinner with a score of 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. Not only that, but the pair’s match broke the record for the latest finish at the US Open, having played until 2:50 am, with a total time of five hours and 15 minutes on the court.
The Spaniard won the US Open men’s title in only his second-ever appearance at the tournament, which is the fewest attempts before claiming the title in the Open Era. On the back of his success at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz became the first teenager to top the ATP Rankings.
The 19-year-old was the first man born in the 2000s to secure the world No 1 spot. He is also the only man born in the 2000s to reach the top five. Alcaraz is also the fourth Spanish man to reach No 1 in the ATP Rankings. The others are Rafael Nadal, Carlos Moya, and his mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero.
READ MORE: WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz reveals how he nearly missed out on 2022 Barcelona Open title
