“Congratulations on your historical triumph” Rafael Nadal lauds Carlos Alcaraz after his stunning victory at the Miami Open

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz put on a dominant display against Casper Ruud in the finals of the 2022 Miami Open to clinch his maiden Masters 1000 crown. The Spaniard also became the youngest champion in the tournaments’ history aged just 18 and broke World No.1 Novak Djokovic’s record, who was aged 19 when he won in 2007.

In a near 2 hour battle, Alcaraz emerged victorious with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-4. The stakes were high during the match as both the players were competing in the biggest finals of their careers so far. Alcaraz found himself 1-4 down in the first set but put on a gritty display to pull off a comeback and clinch the set. The second set was more straightforward as he raced to a 3-0 lead and then kept on his winning momentum to win the set and notch up his milestone first Masters 1000 title.

THE FUTURE IS HERE ??

The moment @alcarazcarlos03 broke Djokovic’s record as YOUNGEST men’s champion in #MiamiOpen history! pic.twitter.com/9zX8ZidYyK
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 3, 2022

After coming off a stellar 2021 season in which he won the NextGen finals, Alcaraz has managed to notch it up a level with a dream start to this season. He has won 18 matches so far at the expense of only two defeats. His title win in Miami is his second of the year, after his triumph at the Rio Open in late February. With the clay-court season coming up, more silverware is in sight for the talented youngster.

Rafael Nadal congratulates Carlos Alcaraz on his Miami Open triumph

For his stellar run, Alcaraz has received plaudits from his idol himself, Rafael Nadal. The 21-time Grand Slam champion took to Twitter to congratulate his compatriot on his historic triumph and said this is just the first of many titles to come for the teenager.

“Congratulations Carlitos @alcarazcarlos03 for your HISTORICAL triumph in #Miami. The first of many to come, for sure!” Nadal posted.

Muchas felicidades Carlitos @alcarazcarlos03 por tu triunfo HISTÓRICO en #Miami. El primero de tantos que van a venir, seguro! ????????????
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 3, 2022

Alcaraz has long been compared to his fellow countryman Rafael Nadal, but now the teenager has done what the ‘King Of clay’ couldn’t manage in his illustrious career. Nadal has won an astonishing 36 Masters titles but couldn’t win any in Miami. With his title triumph, Alcaraz not only managed to emulate the 20-time Grand Slam champion but also broke the finals curse where Spanish players had a 0-8 losing streak in Miami. Alcaraz is also set to rise to a career-high ranking of 11^th place and with the clay-court season beginning soon his debut in the top-10 seems imminent.