Zverev hails Alcaraz the best player in world
SPANISH teenager Carlos Alcaraz swept aside world No.3 Alexander Zverev in straight sets to win the Madrid Open title.
Alcaraz, 19, who stunned both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on his way to the final, won 6-3, 6-1, against Zverev in little over an hour.
Zverev, the defending champion who also won in Madrid in 2018, had no answer to the depth and power of Alcaraz’s groundstrokes and was broken decisively in the sixth game of the first set and four times in the second.
Alcaraz said in his on-court interview: “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. He is a great player. I would say this is the best week of my life.
“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.”
Alcaraz will rise to second in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin today as he seeks to make his debut at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals in November.
“Watching Rafa lift this trophy gave me a lot of power to work hard for this moment,” Alcaraz added. “It is a great moment for me. It is the first tournament I watched, so lifting the trophy today is so emotional.”
During the trophy ceremony, Zverev told Alcaraz: “I want to congratulate Carlitos. Right now you are the best player
in the world. “It is great for tennis that we have such a new superstar that is going to win so many Grand Slams, that is going to be world No.1 and I think is going to win this tournament many more times.”
Alcaraz became the first man to beat countryman Nadal and Djokovic in the same clay-court tournament with a thrilling
6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), win over the Serbian world No.1 on Saturday.
The Spaniard’s triumph in Madrid was his fourth ATP Tour title of the year – more than any other player – and his seventh successive victory over a top-10 opponent.
Ranked world No.120 just 12 months ago, Alcaraz is the second-youngest player to win two ATP Masters 1000 titles following his victory in Miami in March. Nadal won in Monte Carlo and Rome at the age of 18 in 2005.
Alcaraz, who has also won in Umag, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona in the past year, will climb to No.6 in the ATP rankings today.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Neal Skupski and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof secured the doubles’ title in Madrid with a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-5, victory over Spanish pair Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.
Skupski and Koolhof, the seventh seeds, cemented their place at the top of the doubles rankings by winning a tourleading fourth ATP Tour title in their first 12 months as partners.