“I’m really happy to move on to be no. 1 in the world and to grow into it,” Carlos Alcaraz said after winning his first grand slam and in New York. But there’s a lot of growing and adjusting to the fame and what it brings and the teen gave a broad signature smile and said “It’s crazy for me.
I never thought I would receive something like this at 19 years old. Everything came so fast!” He would have never thought on defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud at a slam and gaining the ranking too. Despite this not being their first meeting.
Carlos and Casper had met last year at Marbella, Spain where Carlos won in straight sets in the quarterfinal. It was just six months ago the teen had victory over Ruud in straight sets in Miami to capture the title. Now it was the U.S.
Open to grab another title over the Norweigian. Before Miami, Carlos had doubts on his winning a Major but confesses that “Since I won Miami, I felt like I was able to have a Grand Slam in my hands.” The fight for consistency and dominance is real and with the men in 2020, Dominic Thiem won the title and last year it was Daniil Medvedev.
The two ATP players have yet to go deep in a grand slam since. Thiem bowed in the French Open first round this year and Medvedev got to the fourth round at the French, didn’t play Wimbledon and bowed in the round of 16 at this U.S.
Open. Carlos Alcaraz stands out among the rest for being the youngest but contest that there are times when it’s not such a great thing in playing. “In Montreal and Cincinnati…I lost the joy a little bit from the pressure.
I couldn’t smile on court. I’m doing every match and every tournament…” The Canadian Open, Carlos bowed in the first round, something he’s not particularly used to doing. It was at the Cincinnati that he’d make the quarterfinals, but wasn’t satisfied with his own performance there.
He wanted the U.S. Open to be different and shakes his head and smilingly says “I came here to enjoy.” Alcaraz doesn’t look at where or when the matches or tournaments are, but only if he can really have a good time playing them.
He will have to evolve into this no. 1 status and things may not be the same for the 19-year-old from El Palmar, spain. Endorsements, photoshoots and everything that goes with being no. 1 will inflitrate on the young Spaniard’s life.
“I’m going to twork hard again after these amazing two weeks. I’m gonna fight for half more of this,” he emphasizes. But most of all Carlos Alcaraz wants to feel great when he plays. Time will tell if the teen Spaniard could take the bitters along with the sweets of being the op player in the world. All that Carlos is convinced is that “I got the trophy because I was happy on court.”
