Carlos Alcaraz’s 2022 was incredible. The Spaniard has won the first 1000, has played great on several occasions and has proven to be inferior to none on almost any surface. The room for improvement of the nineteen year old from Murcia appears incredible but in a few hours Carlos could become number one in the world.
Alcaraz could get this chance in the event of a victory or tournament final without Ruud’s victory in New York. An incredible achievement knowing the age of the Iberian champion, yet another extraordinary career.
Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals after a battle lasting over five hours and an extraordinary performance. The Iberian tennis player canceled a match point to his opponent and then overturned the game. In the post game Carlos then commented on the success:
“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know how I managed to win this game. The level was incredible, Jannik is an extraordinary player and I think it’s great for everyone to see games like this. Honestly I can only thank you, at this moment I can not say more. I will never stop repeating that all the games I win on this court I win thanks to you. I can’t honestly explain how much energy you can transmit to me.”
In the semifinals Alcaraz beat US Frances Tiafoe to teach his first Slam final.
The umpteenth record of Carlos Alcaraz
Thanks to his victory over Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz reached his first semifinal in a Grand Slam tournament. An incredible number and which puts him, given his age, among the greats of tennis.
In the course of history, only six players have done better while Carlos is ahead of the Big Three, the three phenomena that have dominated the last twenty years such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Here is the complete ranking:
André Agassi 18 years 4 months (1988)
Boris Becker 18 Years 8 Months (1986)
Arias 19 Years and 25 Days (1983)
Pete Sampras 19 Years 27 Days (1990)
Bjorn Borg 19 years and 3 months (1975)
Pat Cash 19 years, 3 months and 12 days (1984)
Carlos Alcaraz 19 years and 4 months (2022)