Zverev tips Alcaraz for very top after becoming teenager’s latest victim in Madrid final
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz swept aside world number three Alexander Zverev in straight sets to win the Madrid Open title.
Alcaraz, aged 19, who stunned both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on his way to the final, won 6-3 6-1 against Zverev in more than 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.
On court after the match, 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 number one 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 7-5 7-6 win over the Serbian world number one 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-ranked opponent.
He said: “This tournament is special for me, because it’s a tournament I came and watched when I was seven or eight.”
Ranked world number 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 number six in the ATP rankings today.
Britain’s Neal Skupski and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof secured the doubles’ title in Madrid with a 6-7 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.
In the women’s final on Saturday, Ons Jabeur fought back to beat Jessica Pegula in three sets and claim her first WTA 1000 title.
The Tunisian number eight seed came through 7-5 0-6 6-2 in just under two hours against American Pegula.
It was a second career title for Jabeur, who is projected to return to world number seven in next week’s updated rankings.
Jabeur, who recovered from 4-1 down to take the opening set, becomes the first African player to win a top-level WTA event, adding to her title in Birmingham last year.
“I am glad that I came back from 6-0 (in the second set), because it was really tough. She was really good, putting a lot of pressure, playing kind of the game that I don’t like,” Jabeur said.
“I know that I was playing good. I knew that it (another title win) had to come, but like not now on clay, to be honest, I was more excited about the grass season, but I am so happy that I didn’t wait long.
“I have to be smart in Rome, to really take my opportunity. I am going to do my best to go as far as I can and of course prepare for the biggest challenge – French Open.”