Three players – Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Casper Ruud entered the US Open with the possibility of finishing at the pinnacle of the ATP rankings by the end of the tournament. Two of them remain while the most experienced player on the list has been ousted.
All of them have had spectacular seasons in their own right. Nadal is the only one on the list who has added major titles to his trophy cabinet in 2022. He won the Australian Open and the French Open. The 36-year-old also bagged titles in Melbourne and Mexico. The legendary player has had to battle various injuries. If he had been fully fit throughout the year, he could have added more titles to his tally.
Carlos Alcaraz has not had a great deal of success in majors. His best result this year at a Grand Slam came at the French Open. He reached the quarterfinals before being ousted by Jannik Sinner. The 19-year-old has matched that by reaching the quarterfinals of the ongoing US Open. He will once again, he faces the Italian youngster. Alcaraz has won four titles this year -the Rio Open, the Miami Open, the Barcelona Open, and the Madrid Open. He could have added three more titles to his tally but suffered defeats in the finals at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the German Open, and the Croatia Open.
Casper Ruud has also been impressive this season. He has already bagged three titles thus far. Ruud won the Argentina Open in February, defeating home favorite Diego Schwartzman in the final. He went on to win the Geneva Open in May. The following month, he won the Swiss Open. The 23-year-old also made it to the French Open final before being outplayed by Nadal.
The Scenarios for the three to become number 1
Rafael Nadal is currently ranked World No. 3. Carlos Alcaraz is just behind him at No. 4. Casper Ruud is sitting at No. 7.
Rafael Nadal’s scenario to World No. 1
Rafael Nadal suffered a huge upset at the ongoing US Open. He won his first three matches at the competition and faced the local tennis pro – Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. The 24-year-old brought his power game to the fore and ruffled the feathers of one of the best players to have held a racquet. Nadal, a two-time US Open champion bowed out of the tournament after suffering his first loss at a Grand Slam event in 2022. The southpaw will become the World No. 1 once again if both Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz fail to reach the final.
Carlos Alcaraz’s scenario to World No. 1
The talented youngster has been playing some irresistible tennis at Flushing Meadows this year. He has reached the quarterfinals for the second year in a row at the tournament. Alcaraz progressed to the second round after Sebastian Baez was forced to retire mid-match owing to an injury. The Spaniard defeated Federico Coria, Jenson Brooksby, and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic enroute to the quarterfinals. Alcaraz will become the World No. 1 for the first time in his career if he either wins the US Open or loses in the final to someone other than Casper Ruud.
Casper Ruud’s scenario to World No. 1
The Norwegian has had to dig deep in quite a few of his matches at the US Open. Ruud began his campaign with a comfortable win against Kyle Edmund. In the second round, he defeated the Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven in four sets after losing the first one. The third-round encounter against Tommy Paul was a riveting affair as Ruud won in five sets. In the fourth round, Ruud defeated Corentin Moutet to reach his first US Open quarterfinal. Ruud will become the new World No. 1 if he wins the title or he loses in the final to someone other than Carlos Alcaraz.
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