Alcaraz ends year as youngest ever world No. 1

PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz said ending the year as the youngest ever tennis world No 1 was “an amazing achievement” and a reward for his hard work.

The Spaniard will be 19 years, 214 days on December 5, the 2022 year-end ranking date when he will take the mantle of youngest from Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20 years, 275 days in 2001.

Alcaraz was assured of ending as world No 1 on Tuesday when Casper Ruud overcame Taylor Fritz, which ensured Rafael Nadal could not reach the last four at the ATP Finals in Turin. The Spaniard needed to win the tournament to finish the season on top.

Alcaraz started the year at 32 in the world and made the biggest rise to finish top in 50 years of the rankings. He was unable to play in Turin due to an abdominal injury. He becomes the first player outside of the Big Four of Novak Djokovic, Roger

Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal to top the final rankings since Andy Roddick in 2003.

“It means a lot to me. I mean, to get this trophy, the world No 1, to be part of tennis history along with a lot of legends, for me is an amazing feeling,” Alcaraz said. “It’s an amazing achievement. I mean, all the hard work pays off.”

Nadal signs off with win

Rafa Nadal may be heading home but he made sure he avoided matching his worst ever losing sequence with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals on Thursday.

Back-to-back straight sets defeats in the Green Group by Taylor Fritz and Felix Augeraliassime meant the 22-time Grand slam champion missed out on the semi-finals.

But the Spaniard was clearly eager not to end a season that began in such spectacular fashion by succumbing to a fifth successive defeat.