Carlos Alcaraz is set to finish the 2022 ATP season as the world no. 1 after his fellow compatriot Rafael Nadal lost his second match at the ATP Finals.
A few weeks before the season finale, it seemed that the younger Spaniard had everything in his hands to finish the year as world no. 1, which he became after his sensational US Open triumph.
However, after he retired from his quarterfinal match at the 2022 Paris Masters against Holger Rune, things started looking a bit bleak for Alcaraz, and after he was forced to withdraw from the 2022 ATP Finals, he didn't have control over his own faith.
Rafael Nadal could have ended the season in which he lifted two Grand Slam trophies with a year-end trophy, but it was the tournament where he didn't have much success in the past that determined that the 2022 season would ensure another rewriting of the record books.
After Alcaraz became the youngest man to become the world no. 1 after his triumph in Flushing Meadows, he's now set to also become the youngest man to be a year-end no. 1.
The accomplishment follows his breakthrough year, which began with a championship run in Rio de Janeiro and was followed by further runs in Miami, Barcelona, Madrid, and other cities.
Along with being a significant accomplishment, he also broke Lleyton Hewitt's record by more than 365 days and became the youngest player to ever accomplish it. Alcaraz finished the year with 57 wins and 15 losses, reaching seven finals and winning five trophies.
The Spanish prodigy will now hope to put the injury-plagued end of the season behind him and prepare for 2023, when he'll be a defending champion at multiple tournament, and for the first time in his career, enter a Grand Slam as the top seed.
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