Destiny has come fast for Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish 19-year-old who is the new world No.1, the youngest player ever to top the rankings, and the US Open champion.
At 19 years and four months he is more than one year younger than Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago. On Sunday night, Alcaraz and Norwegian 23-year-old Casper Ruud were playing for their first grand-slam title and the position of world No.1.
They put on a spectacular show that hinged around the end of the third set.With the Spaniard serving at 5-6, Ruud’s monumental forehand earned him two set points.
On both of these Alcaraz chose the right tactic and displayed the technical expertise to survive. A delicate forehand volley played cross-court and short had a particularly high tariff of difficulty and demonstrated his physical strength as well as a delicate touch.This is the deadly combination this generation of players will have to deal with, including Britain’s Jack Draper, who will have been inspired by what he saw in New York.