Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest year-end No. 1 in men’s tennis as Rafael Nadal’s slump continues at ATP Finals
At 34 years old, Carlos Alcaraz became the oldest active No. 1 ranked player in men’s tennis. Born Oct. 25, 1982, he is the oldest No. 1 in the ATP. (Photo courtesy of ATP)
By: RENALDO JORDAN
It’s been just over one month since Rafael Nadal’s streak of 26 consecutive months atop the ATP World Tour singles rankings reached its longest winning streak since November 2011 when Andy Murray extended his winning streak to 28 months. Nadal’s current win streak stands at 26 months and 22 matches.
However, for the second time this year he has been unable to claim the season’s biggest prize, the ATP Finals title, for his third year in a row.
The ATP Finals, which begins Jan. 6-9 in London, are considered one of the grander tournaments in men’s and women’s tennis and one of the biggest in the sport of tennis. The tournament features the four Grand Slam events, as well as the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Also, the event features more than 250 of the world’s top players who play against each other over two days.
That’s why it has become a hot topic for both fans and athletes, not just the No. 1 ranked tennis players. While both Nadal and Roger Federer have won the ATP Finals three times in a row, Nadal has been unable to claim the title since 2012 (for two years consecutively). But not only has Nadal struggled to become the No. 1 in men’s tennis, so has his long-term opponent Federer, who has failed to win the event in four straight years. Federer has had a number of chances, including at the US Open in 2010 and 2013, but each time he has failed to win.
This year was a different story: Federer won the US Open in September, becoming the oldest man ever to win it. He was also the first Swiss man to win the US Open since Björn Borg at the age of 42 years and 8 months. However, the world No. 1 hasn’t been able to claim the ATP World Tour singles titles since, so this year is his fourth consecutive season without a title. Federer could also
