“I was 7 when I came here,” Carlos Alcaraz delivers an emotional speech after becoming the youngest Madrid Open champion
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Carlos Alcaraz
With a decisive 6-3 6-1 victory over last year’s winner Alexander Zverev in just 62 minutes, Carlos Alcaraz has become the youngest Madrid Open champion. After victories over Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal en route to the final, the teenager has now defeated the top three seeds in a row. He also became the youngest player since the ATP tour began to defeat three of the top five players in the same tournament.
With his diversity of shots and athleticism, the Spaniard overcame Alexander Zverev with his persistent hitting to capture his sixth straight Top 10 win and tour-leading fourth title of the year. After winning in Miami in March, the 19-year-old is the second-youngest player to win two ATP Masters 1000 titles with his 62-minute victory. Rafael Nadal won titles at Monte Carlo and Rome when he was 18 years old in 2005.
Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz creates history, becomes the youngest player to win the Madrid Open title
“It’s very special for me”- Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz used his power from the baseline to successfully attack Zverev’s forehand in a strong first-set performance. With his quickness, the 19-year-old repeatedly converted defence into attack, securing the vital break in the sixth game before serving brilliantly to take the lead. With his momentum behind him, Alcaraz continued to put his foot down in the second set, causing Zverev problems with his depth, width, and weight of shot. With his superb touch, the Spaniard swung Zverev around and returned forcefully, breaking three times in the second set on his way to triumph. Alcaraz is now 1-2 versus Alexander Zverev in their ATP Head2Head series.
Alcaraz spoke after his win, saying, “Congratulations to everyone who made this tournament possible. It’s very special for me. The first time I came here I was seven or eight. To be here, and to have won is incredible. To my team – I have no words to describe what I feel for you. I started with Juan Carlos when I was 15, there’s a huge amount of work behind it all. The day didn’t start that well today, but we’ve managed to cope with it and overcome the difficulties.”
“To the people of Madrid, from the first round I’ve felt an amazing amount of affection. It’s been an amazing atmosphere, saying thank you isn’t nearly enough. I’ve always said that with the support of the public it’s easy to overcome the difficulties – I hope to see you all next year,” the champion went on to add.
When asked subsequently what he meant when he stated the day didn’t start well, Alcaraz explained that his ankle was swollen in the morning after the injury he sustained against Rafael Nadal, and he also required an infected blister on his foot popped. According to the player, he struggled to walk in the morning but was able to play, thanks to his physio and medical team’s efforts.
Carlos Alcaraz will attain a career-high ranking on Monday
When Carlos Alcaraz made his Madrid debut a year ago, he was ranked No. 120 in the ATP Rankings. He will ascend to a career-high No. 6 in the ATP Rankings on Monday after winning five tour-level tournaments since then. Along with Masters 1000 championships in Miami and Madrid, the 2021 Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion has titles in Umag, Rio de Janeiro, and Barcelona this year, making him the Tour’s youngest five-time champion since Rafael Nadal won seven titles at the age of 19 in 2004-05.
Also Read: “Ready for Roland Garros” Carlos Alcaraz locks his next target ahead of the finals in Madrid
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)