Tennis prince Alcaraz is Madrid Open champion
Paris, May 9: Spanish teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz rose three places to sixth in the men’s ATP rankings following his victory in the Madrid Open on Sunday.
The 19-year-old’s 6-3, 6-1 trouncing of Germany’s Alexander Zverev in Madrid was his fourth title of the year and rubber-stamped his chances of lifting his first Grand Slam in the upcoming French Open.
He had beaten his compatriot Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the way to the final.
The only worry for Alcaraz is a sore ankle which will see him miss this week’s Rome tournament in order to be fit for the French Open which gets underway on May 22.
Djokovic retains his number one ranking — number two Daniil Medvedev is due to return to action at next week’s Geneva Open after recovering from a hernia operation — while Australian Open champion Nadal remains at four.
Two players in the top 10 are on the slide as Italy’s Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, who has yet to play on clay this season as he recovers from an operation on his right hand, drops two spots to eighth.
EYES ON ROLAND GARROS
After demolishing Alexander Zverev in the Madrid final on Sunday, Alcaraz said “I really want to prove my level in a Grand Slam”.
“I really want to go to Paris to win a Grand Slam, to show my level in a Grand Slam. People are going to take me as a favourite, but I take that as motivation,” said Alcaraz at a press conference.
He said he will miss the Rome claycourt tournament this week after injuring an ankle in beating Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals on Friday.
“This morning, because of the fall against Rafa, I woke up with a more swollen ankle and I also had a blister that had become infected. It was a little difficult to walk, but... we were able to do a few things to be at 100 per cent for the match,” he said.
Alcaraz turned 19 on Thursday and over the next two days battled past Nadal in two hours and 28 minutes and Novak Djokovic in 3 hours and 36 minutes. “I am 19 years old, which I think is the key to be able to play long and tough matches in a row. I am feeling great physically,” he said
“It feels great to be able to beat these players. To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the world No.3. I would say this is the best week of my life,” he said.
Zverev had no doubt where the teenager’s trajectory is heading. “It’s great to see for tennis that we have such a new superstar who is going to win so many Grand Slams and is going to be world No. 1,” said the German. —