US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was named in the 2022 TIME100 Next list on Wednesday. It is an annually released list by TIME “that recognizes 100 rising stars from across industries and around the world.”
Spanish teenager Alcaraz clinched his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows this month with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 win over Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final in New York. The triumph also meant that Alcaraz became the youngest ever world number one since the ATP computerised rankings began in 1973.
TIME describes the Spaniard as “frighteningly good at his game.” It further adds, “He deploys drop shots when opponents least expect them, angles winners to the far edges of the court, and chases down shots that he has no right to reach—then does it again.”
With the retirements of tennis legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer, TIME states Alcaraz as the “next global force” in the sport.
Fondly called ‘Carlitos’, Alcaraz was born to Virginia and Carlos on May 5, 2003. He was introduced to tennis at the age of four.
Coached by countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero, who won the French Open and also became World No. 1, Alcaraz trains at the JC Ferrero Equelite Sport Academy in Villena.
Alcaraz made his ATP Tour main draw debut at the ATP500 event in Rio de Janeiro in 2020 as a wildcard. World number 406 Alcaraz beat much-experienced fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas (then world number 41) 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(2) in the opening round.
However, he first caught everyone’s attention with a stunning five-set win over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 US Open. The Greek was World No. 3 at that time and had reached the 2021 French Open final. Later in the year, the Spaniard won the Next Gen ATP Finals.
In 2022, Alcaraz has won five ATP Tour titles and leads the tour with a win-loss record of 52-10. The Spaniard is only one of the two players at the moment to have qualified for the year-end ATP Finals. The other player is Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner and a former world number one.
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