Climbed to the top for the 4th time this year alone
“The best week of my life”
| ▲ Spain’s Carlos Alkaras (left) smiles brightly as he is champagne champagne by his opponent, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, after winning the singles title at the Mutua Madrid Open on the ATP Tour held in Madrid, Spain on the morning of the 9th (Korean time). . Reuters Yonhap News |
19-year-old Carlos Alkaras (Spain) won the men’s professional tennis (ATP) tour in the singles at Mutua Madrid Open (total prize money: 6,744,165 euros). Alkaras, ranked 9th in the world, defeated Rafael Nadal (Spain) in 4th place, Novak Djokovic (Serbia) in 1st place, and Alexander Zverev (Germany) in 3rd place, making his name known as a ‘fearful teenager’.
Alkaras defeated Zverev 2-0 (6-3, 6-1) in the singles final held in Madrid, Spain on the morning of the 9th (Korean time). Al Karas is his fifth personal ATP Tour title, and his fourth this year alone. Alkaras was also registered as the youngest winner since the launch of the Madrid Open in 2002. Alkaras, in particular, has won 28 matches this season, taking the top spot in this category. Alkaras will move up from 9th to 6th at the next world ranking announcement.
Alkaras took two wins in the season and two career wins in the Masters 1000 Series following the Miami Open in March. 1st place in the Masters 1000 Series this season. According to ATP, Alkaras, born in 2003, is the youngest double-winner in the Masters 1000 Series. First place is Nadal, who won the Monte Carlo and Roma Opens at the age of 18. The Masters 1000 Series is next to the four major tournaments, and is held 9 times a year.
Alkaras defeated Nadal in the quarterfinals and Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Alkaras is attracting attention from all over the world because he reached the final by beating two of the ‘Big 3′ men’s tennis and won the top spot. In particular, Alkaras raised expectations for the French Open, a major tournament that will start on the 22nd, as he was named the only player who defeated both Nadal and Djokovic in the clay court competition. Alkaras stayed in the third round (round of 32) at the French Open last year. Alkaras’ best record in major tournaments was last year’s U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Alkaras said immediately after winning, “It feels good to be able to beat the two best players in history (Djokovic and Nadal) and Zverev, who is ranked third in the world. The best week of my life.” “I think the fact that I am 19 is the key to being able to play a long and difficult game in a row. I am in very good shape,” he said. “Alkaras is the best player in the world right now,” Zverev said. “It’s great to see a superstar who will win many majors and become the world’s number one.”
Reporter Heo Jong-ho sportsher@munhwa.com
