Carlos Alcaraz defeats Casper Ruud to win the US Open final
Carlos Alcaraz defeated fellow countryman Casper Ruud, claiming his first title and becoming the first Mexican to win the Grand Slam title. Alcaraz won 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, to win the final.
The Mexican was playing for the first time in his four-year-old season, as the two entered the tournament without any major titles to their name.
Ruud, meanwhile, had won the last three majors to tie for the lead in the world rankings, but he had done so in very different ways – winning by way of back-to-back Australian Opens, before losing in the final of the French Open to Lucas Pouille.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, had won three, having come within one of a fourth final in New York in late 2011 (defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round).
The 25-year-old, who was born in Monterrey, said of his win: “I was hoping for one more match but I felt I could go three sets. It’s nice to get the first. I took the lead in the second set and lost because I overplayed the match. I went for too many mistakes and I over-hit shots. If I could have served better, I would have won this one.
“I’m happy because I’m going to end up as a great player. I love tennis and I was hoping to win this title, but it’s good for me, too.”
Alcaraz, who is ranked 11th in the world and just ahead of Federer (who he was trailing in the rankings at the start of the year), said of his performance: “It’s not even close to what I expected, but I didn’t feel good on the court. I was just tired. I tried to play my best game, but I couldn’t. It’s a good
