Carlos Alcaraz joins Rafael Nadal as he qualifies for 2022 ATP Finals
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz keeps reaching new heights in 2022. The Spaniard qualified for the ATP Finals as only the second player this season and joined Rafael Nadal.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion became the first player to qualify for the event this year, and now he was also joined by his compatriot. Moreover, Alcaraz became the youngest player since Nadal in 2005 to qualify for the ATP Finals.
The 19-year-old will make his debut in the year-end championship, which will be held in Turin from November 13th through 20th. Alcaraz's victory over Jannik Sinner in the US Open quarter-finals guaranteed him a spot in Turin.
One year after winning the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, he will compete in the ATP Finals and try to complete his almost perfect year with another triumph.
Potentially, the 19-year-old Spaniard is only one match away from becoming the youngest ATP World No. 1 player in the history of men's tennis, and if he fails to do so at the US Open, one of the chances could surely come also at the 2022 ATP Finals.
Alcaraz didn't focus so much on qualifying for the ATP Finals after his win over Sinner, but he showed that he was in a very good headspace. The Spaniard was happy about the atmosphere in New York.
"I feel great to be in my first semi-final in a Grand Slam. I feel better reaching a semi-final here [at the] US Open. This tournament is amazing. The crowd is amazing, I would say the best in the world."
"Probably at the end of the match, I was [at] my end. It was really, really tough for me. [But], during the whole match, five hours, 15 minutes of the match, I felt great physically. The level of tennis that we played, it was really, really high. But I felt great."
"The energy I received in this court at 3 a.m., it was unbelievable. I mean, probably in other tournaments, everybody [would go] to their house to rest. But they [stayed] in the court, supporting me. It was unbelievable."
