'I lost the joy a little bit' - Carlos Alcaraz on managing pressure on his way to maiden Grand Slam win at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz says being able to enjoy his tennis again was crucial to him returning to his best form and winning the US Open. The 19-year-old is the new men’s world No. 1 after claiming a first Grand Slam title with victory over Casper Ruud at Flushing Meadows.

Ad The Spaniard defeated Ruud in four sets, 6-4 2-6 7-6(1) 6-3, to win a maiden major title at Flushing Meadows and usurped Daniil Medvedev atop the ATP world rankings. US Open'Hard to believe' — Ruud praises 'rare talent' Alcaraz after US Open final defeat3 HOURS AGO In doing so, he becomes the youngest player in ATP history to top the rankings. Alcaraz made an inauspicious start to the north American hard-court swing, losing to Tommy Paul in the first round at Montreal and then to Cameron Norrie at the quarter-final stage in Cincinnati.

And his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, as reported by the ATP website, felt Alcaraz had “lost a little bit of happiness on the court”, so instructed his player to take a looser approach to his game at Flushing Meadows. It worked, with the 19-year-old collecting a record 23 hours and 39 minutes on court — including three five-set wins — over the seven matches that saw him win his first Grand Slam. Alcaraz beats Ruud to claim maiden Grand Slam title and becomes new world No.

1 ‘First of many’ – Nadal congratulates Alcaraz on maiden Grand Slam title Exclusive: Alcaraz says mid-match ‘calm down’ was key to first Grand Slam title Alcaraz has revealed that he had lost a little bit of the joy in his game ahead of the tournament, but regained it on his way to a stunning win. “I lost the joy a little bit. I felt the pressure,” Alcaraz said.