Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest men's top 10 tennis player since Rafael Nadal

Spanish 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest man to break into the ATP top 10 since countryman Rafael Nadal almost exactly 17 years ago, moving up to number nine in the world after winning the Barcelona Open.

Alcaraz won the fourth title of his career by beating eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2 in the final on Monday, just hours after winning a gruelling semi-final that had been postponed due to rain.

At 18 years, 11 months and 20 days, Alcaraz is now the ninth-youngest man to reach the men's top 10 since the rankings began in 1973.

Fellow Spaniard Nadal was a month younger when he climbed into the top 10 in April 2005, having also won the title on Barcelona's clay.

The youngest man to break into the ATP tour's refined air was Aaron Krickstein, who was 11 days past his 17th birthday when he debuted in August 1984.

Alcaraz is currently tied with Nadal for the most ATP Tour titles in 2022 with three, and has no plans of slowing down after his Barcelona victory.

«I did not think I would reach this stage at 18 years old,» he told a news conference at a junior event.

«It is for the first time for me in the top 10. It means a lot.

»For me, it's a dream come true. I have been fighting for this since I was a child. I work every day, work hard to be here to have chance to get titles to beat the top players in the world, but not at this age.

«It is just a coincidence that it's the same with Rafa. I just focus on my game.»

His singles tally stands at four titles after triumphs at Miami and Rio de Janeiro this year and a victory at Umag last July, when he became the youngest tour-level champion since Kei Nishikori claimed the title at Delray Beach in 2008.

The young Spaniard is now seen as one of the favourites for next month's