Alcaraz becomes youngest No. 1 ranked player in men's tennis

The U.S. Open ended with a bang as 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz was titled champion, making him the youngest man to win a Grand Slam title since Rafael Nadal in 2005. Alcaraz had a strong start, winning the first set, but was set back in the second. He then went on to win two more sets in a row, including a tie-break in set three.
The Spanish player beat Casper Rudd of Norway 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 for the trophy, making him the youngest No. 1 ranked player in men's tennis, reports ESPN.
The road to victory was no easy feat as Alcaraz played three consecutive five-set matches to make it to the championship. This included the longest match in U.S. Open history, where the game lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, against Jannik Sinner. He also played an emotional match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S., who was the first American man in the semi-finals since 2006.
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Alcaraz has received an outpouring of support from all over the world, including fellow Spaniard and tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who Alcaraz defeated in the Madrid Open last year.
In a news conference following his victory, Alcaraz said, "I want to be on top for many weeks, many years," Then, pointing at the trophy: "I want more of these."
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Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
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