Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying the best season of his career and the 2022 US Open just proved that he's currently the best player in the world.
The 19-years-old Spaniard entered the 2022 US Open draw as the third-seeded and after surviving three five-set battles on his way to the final, he took on the fifth-seeded Casper Ruud. The final match was special as both players battled for their first Grand Slam title and the winner of this match would end up as new world number 1 on Monday.
The battle started already in the first games when both players had at least one break point in every one of the first four games. However, only Alcaraz used his chance to break his opponent and after a few minutes of play, he led 3-1.
In the remainder of the first set, both competitors stayed really solid on their serve and eventually, the younger from the duo took the first set, which featured also a nice moment when the Norwegian forfeited a point, 6-4.
However, in the second set, it was time for Ruud to show that he also came to compete for his first Grand Slam title and the world number 1 spot. He successfully denied two chances that his opponent had to get a break and stayed calm when having break points himself what ended up in a swift 6-2 win in the second set for new world number 2.
The final protagonists traded breaks at the start of the third set and for a very long time it seemed that the tie-break is inevitable. Yet, Ruud had two chances to win a set in the marathon 10-minute twelfth game that featured five deuces. But he didn't use his chance and it was the Spaniard who prevailed in the tie-break, winning it 7-1.
Ruud knew that he had to do something special in the fourth set to win it, but he simply couldn't as Alcaraz was everywhere. The young Spaniard used the only break point of the set to win the match 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3.
By doing so, Carlos Alcaraz won the 2022 US Open and his first Grand Slam title. Moreover, on Monday, he will become the youngest world number 1 in history of men's tennis, surpassing Lleyton Hewitt by more than one year and four months.
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