By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday December 9, 2022
2022 will forever be remembered as the year that Carlos Alcaraz well and truly arrived.
Photo Source: Getty Images
With the 2022 tennis season done and dusted and in the rearview, Tennis Now is circling back to bask in the glory of what was a truly phenomenal tennis season.
Today we take a closer look at the rise of Carlos Alcaraz…
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We’d be remiss if we weren’t full of praise for 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz for what was a truly groundbreaking season. Let us not forget that when the 2022 season commenced, Alcaraz was still a relatively unproven commodity on the sports’ biggest stages.
Ranked 32, and with a single 500-level title to his name, Alcaraz would go on to claim five titles, including his first major title at the US Open, and finish the season as the youngest No.1 in ATP history.
How did he get here from there? By blossoming in every which way. His season started without much fanfare, but after falling to Matteo Berrettini in five sets in the third round at the Aussie Open, Alcaraz hit his stride in South America and never looked back.
Here is a sampling of the remarkable achievements of Alcaraz in 2022, beginning in Rio, where he won the title to become the youngest champion in tournament history. At Rio, became youngest ATP 500 champion in history.
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At Indian Wells, became the second-youngest men’s semi-finalist in 46-year history of BNP Paribas Open.
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At Miami, became the youngest men’s champion and 1st Spanish men’s champion in 37-year history of the Miami Open.
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At Madrid, Alcaraz became the youngest men’s champion in 20-year history of Mutua Madrid Open, and the youngest player to defeat Djokovic and Nadal and first to do so at same clay-court event. Thanks to his work at Miami and Madrid, Alcaraz became the second-youngest player to reach 2 ATP Masters 1000 finals in 285-event series history.
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On 25 April, became youngest player to break into Top 10 since Rafael Nadal, 18, on 25 April 2005.
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At the US Open Alcaraz became the youngest US Open men’s singles champion since Pete Sampras in 1990 and the youngest Grand Slam men’s singles champion since Nadal in 2005.
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On the day after the US Open, Alcaraz became the youngest No.1 in ATP history at the age of 19 years and 214 days.
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Alcaraz is also the youngest year-end No.1 in ATP history.
You don’t have to be a tennis aficionado to recognize the fact that Alcaraz, who completed his season with a 57-13 record and five titles, is on the fast track to becoming a generational player on the ATP Tour. The El Palmar, Murcia native won’t even turn 20 until May 5, 2022.
Alcaraz’s statistical achievements sparkle, and so does his tennis. In fact, one of the reasons he seems set up for long-term success is the completeness of his game. Alcaraz is gifted in every facet; he possesses jaw-dropping power, mind-bending movement and athleticism, as well as a nuanced well-rounded quality. The 6'0" Spaniard can produce jaw-dropping power, but he can also play with nuance, dropping in stunning lobs, a world-class drop shot and top-notch volleys.
There is seemingly nothing the Spaniard can’t do, which is why we can’t wait to see what he’ll do for an encore in 2023.
With Novak Djokovic fully healthy and hungry to tack on Grand Slam titles in 2023, we’re most looking forward to a potential clash between the two. In fact, the only question mark about Alcaraz's rise is this: can he keep dominating when Djokovic is healthy and playing a full schedule?
Alcaraz won the pair’s first meeting, at Madrid, in a third-set breaker. But Djokovic hadn’t really hit peak form at that point.
Even so, Djokovic knows he’ll have his hands full with the surging Spaniard in 2023.
“Overall the rankings are showing who had the best year, and Alcaraz is the No. 1 in the world," Djokovic told the media in Turin at the ATP Finals. "Not much to say about that. But in my mind I always see myself as the best player in the world, of course. I have that kind of mentality and that kind of approach.
Nadal, who defeated Alcaraz in an epic battle at Indian Wells, and later lost to him in Madrid, May have summed things up best after edging his compatriot in California in March.
“I don't have many doubts that he will be great,” Nadal said.
“He is already, by the way,” he added with a grin.
Indeed.