Carlos Alcaraz: "I'm not scared of fame, I'm not going to change"
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz added another unforgettable chapter to a young career full of remarkable moments, as he won the 2022 Barcelona Open.
On Sunday, the fifth seed won the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona, winning 6-3, 6-2 over one of his hitting partners, eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta.
Alcaraz, who has already won three titles this season, has also reached no. 9 in the ATP Rankings, becoming the youngest player to do so since Rafael Nadal did so 17 years ago after winning his maiden Barcelona trophy.
So far, Alcaraz has followed in the footsteps of the 21-time Grand Slam champion, and he did the same at the Barcelona Open, a tournament that Nadal won 12 times in his career, this year.
The final score may suggest an easy win, but the final day was much more difficult for the Spaniard than it might seem. Because of the weather, the semi-finals were moved to Sunday, and the 18-year-old took three hours and 40 minutes to upset Alex de Minaur in the season's longest best-of-three match.
The Australian had two match points to win in straight sets in that match. De Minaur had a short forehand with the court open on one of those match points, but he offered Alcaraz a look at a passing shot, which the youngster executed flawlessly, and after the final win, he spoke about the achievement.
"It means a lot. I've watched this tournament since I was a kid. I always wished to play in this tournament and of course to be able to win this tournament. I'm really, really happy to be part of the [historic] Spanish list."
"I've always been a normal guy. I'm not scared of fame. I'm not going to change the person I am. I'm happy to know that at 18 years old I'm in the Top 10, and to do it [at] the same age as my idol Rafa is impressive."
