Carlos Alcaraz (ATP Tour - Twitter)
Carlos Alcaraz will deservingly finish the year as the world No. 1 as no other player will be able to topple him this season.
The Spanish teenager had been in prolific form this season. He won four titles earlier in the year – the Rio Open, the Miami Open, the Barcelona Open, and the Madrid Open. Alcaraz also finished runner-up in the German Open and the Croatia Open after losing to Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner, respectively. However, Alcaraz’s biggest triumph came at the US Open.
Some impatient fans were of the notion that Alcaraz flatters to deceive at the Grand Slam events. However, the talented Spaniard proved them wrong and won his first major title at the US Open. Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud in a final and that win also took the former to the top of the ATP rankings. Alcaraz has held on to the rank and now he is confirmed to finish the year at that spot. Compatriot Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas had the chance to take Alcaraz’s spot with a favorable result at the ATP Finals. Alcaraz’s season ended when he suffered an injury during his quarter-final clash against Holger Rune.
Nadal needed to win the ATP Finals in order to become the No. 1 player once again. However, he lost both his matches in the tournament and got eliminated. Tsitsipas also had a chance to be the No. 1 player for the first time in his career but he had to win the tournament while remaining undefeated. That wasn’t to be as the Greek youngster lost his opening bout to Novak Djokovic. Thus, nobody is left to topple Alcaraz as the No. 1 player, hence making him the youngest-ever year-end No. 1 player in the history of the sport.
Let’s take a look at how the Twitter world reacted after Carlos Alcaraz became the confirmed year-end No. 1.
Carlos Alcaraz surpassed Australian legend, Lleyton Hewitt, to become the youngest year-end No. 1 player in the history of tennis. Hewitt finished the year as the No. 1 player at the age of 20 years 10 months and 7 days in 2001.
Andy Roddick is the third-youngest to achieve the feat at 21 years 4 months and 1 day in 2003. Jimmy Connors comes in at No. 4 having achieved the feat at the age of 22 years 3 months and 29 days. Jim Courier is number five on the list of the youngest-ever year-end No. 1 players. The American player achieved the feat in 1992 at the age of 22 years 4 months and 14 days.
14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras comes in the number six position. He finished as the year-end No.1 for the first time in his career at the age of 22 years 4 months and 19 days in 1993.
Alcaraz’s idol, Rafael Nadal is also on the illustrious list. He is a five-time year-end No.1 but he achieved the feat for the first time in 2008 at the age of 22 years 6 months and 28 days.
One of Connors’ bitter rivals, John McEnroe makes the list in the No. 8 position. He became the year-end No. 1 for the first time at the age of 22 years 10 months and 15 days in the year 1981.
Not many lists of records in tennis can be devoid of Roger Federer. The recently-retired Swiss star is at the No. 9 position, as he became the year-end No. 1 for the first time in his illustrious career when he was 23 years 4 months and 23 days old in 2004 while Bjorn Borg is at No. 10, having become the year-end No. 1 for the first time at the age of 23 years 6 months and 25 days in 1979.
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