Carlos Alcaraz outlasts Casper Ruud to win maiden grand slam title at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud to win his first grand slam title at the US Open and become the youngest man ever to be ranked world number one.

Alcaraz, 19, and Ruud went into the match with both bidding for a first slam title and to top the rankings, and it was the Spanish teenager who came out on top, winning 6-4 2-6 7-6 (1) 6-3 in front of a jubilant crowd.

He is more than a year younger than Lleyton Hewitt was when he topped the standings in 2001.

The Australian’s pre-eminence in the sport proved short-lived as first Roger Federer and then Rafael Nadal ascended to the top of the game but, in the week where King Charles assumed sovereignty, tennis appears to have crowned a new king.

It is only a year since Alcaraz burst into the spotlight by reaching the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows but his talent was already well known within the sport and he has climbed the rankings at warp speed.

He showed he was ready to win the biggest titles by lifting Masters trophies in Miami and Madrid, where he beat Nadal and Novak Djokovic back to back, and has proved himself to be a complete player despite his tender years.

Alcaraz has also shown remarkable powers of physical endurance, recovering from three successive five-set matches, two of which finished past 2am.

No one has ever spent longer on court during a grand slam and at times he appeared physically and mentally weary during the final.

But Ruud, who was heavily beaten by Nadal in his maiden slam final at the French Open, could not find the killer blow.

The match was played under the roof in Arthur Ashe Stadium on a rainy day in New York and Alcaraz moved into an early lead with a break in the third game.

Ruud sportingly gave his opponent a point after the umpire