Spanish teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz yesterday rose three places to sixth in the men’s ATP rankings following his victory in the Madrid Open on Sunday.
The 19-year-old continued his blazing rise by demolishing Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 for his fourth title of the year and rubber-stamped his chances of lifting his first Grand Slam in the upcoming French Open.
“I really want to go to Paris to win a Grand Slam, to show my level in a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz told a news conference after winning the second Masters 1000 of his career.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“People are going to take me as a favorite, but I take that as motivation,” he added.
He said he would miss the Rome clay-court tournament this week after injuring an ankle in beating Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals on Friday.
“This morning, because of the fall against Rafa, I woke up with a more swollen ankle and I also had a blister that had become infected,” he said. “It was a little difficult to walk, but ... we were able to do a few things to be at 100 percent for the match.”
Before the Madrid tournament last year, Alcaraz was ranked 120th in the world, before yesterday’s update to No. 6.
“I have five more to go to be the best in the world,” he said of his No. 6 ranking.
He became the youngest US Open quarter-finalist of the Open era in September last year, then won his first Masters 1000 title in Miami early last month.
The only younger player to reach that a second Masters 1000 title milestone was Nadal, who won in Monte Carlo and Rome when he was 18.
Alcaraz turned 19 on Thursday and over the next two days battled past Nadal in 2 hours, 28 minutes and Novak Djokovic in 3 hours, 36 minutes.
“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,” he said.
“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,” he said.
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