The rainy day dawned and the roof of Arthur Ashe closed. With that cover, the stadium would become a pressure cooker, between the human warmth generated by the almost 24,000 New York spectators noisily cheering on their favorite players (today most went with the “boy wonder”) and the intensity that Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud would transmit, with their desire for a triumph in which they played more than ever: a first Grand Slam title and the highest position in the world ranking. That pot burst when Alcaraz defeated the Norwegian in four sets (6/4, 2/6, 7/6 (1) and 6/3) and three hours and twenty games and became the youngest number one in history .
And this is just the beginning.
The integrity and maturity of Alcaraz in the turning points of the game were the key to his victory. A crucial game was the twelfth of the third set. There Ruud realized that he had to bet more on his forehand and go for the lines and managed to force two set points. With an unusual coldness of mind for someone his age, Alcaraz played it too, going up to the net and with breath-taking dropshots and overcoming them, to reach the tie-break, in which he swept the Nordic.
In the fourth set, serving for the win, the young prodigy kept his cool. He lost his first chance, but on the second, forcing an error by Ruud with his serve, he won the victory, his first Grand Slam and world number one.
The first thing he did was lie on the ground and cry. Then, after embracing her latest victim in New York in the net, she climbed up to his box for hugs and kisses with her team and his family.
“It’s hard to talk,” he said. Her eyes shone with tears about to spring. “That’s a lot of emotions right now. This is something he was trying to achieve. It is the result of the work I did with my team, with my family. I am only 19 years old and I make the difficult decisions with them, ”he acknowledged.
In his chair, before accepting the trophy, he smiled and cried. “I thought of my mother, that she is not here, and of my grandfather. Many relatives are here, but others could not come to see my previous matches or the final”.
The Murcian had words of thanks in Spanish for the Spaniards who were in the audience. “The truth is that many people have come from Spain to encourage me, to see me on this special day. The love I have received from day one has been incredible. It has probably been the atmosphere that I have experienced the most on a tennis court, together with you”.
Alcaraz also recalled that his first major victory came precisely on a day as significant for New York as September 11. “It’s hard to live this day as a normal day,” he said, remembering the victims of the twin towers.
In addition to the glory, Carlitos also gets a check for 2.6 million euros and the US Open trophy, presented to him by the legendary John McEnroe.
With Alcaraz there are already four Spaniards who have been placed on the throne of tennis: Carlos Moyá, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafa Nadal and now Carlitos Alcaraz.
The rainy day dawned and the roof of Arthur Ashe closed. With that cover, the stadium would become a pressure cooker, between the human warmth generated by the almost 24,000 New York spectators noisily cheering on their favorite players (today most went with the “boy wonder”) and the intensity that Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud would transmit, with their desire for a triumph in which they played more than ever: a first Grand Slam title and the highest position in the world ranking. That pot burst when Alcaraz defeated Ruud in four sets and became the youngest number one in history.
