On This Day: Alcaraz makes historic No. 1 debut in 2022
Carlos Alcaraz began the second week of 2022 as the World No. 33, but in just nine astonishing months he surged past the sport’s elite to become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings on September 12.
By bursting onto the scene in 2021 as an 18-year-old prodigy, the Spaniard immediately captured attention with his electric talent. With his first tour-level title in Umag, Alcaraz ensured that he would begin 2022 — his first full season on the ATP Tour — ranked inside the World’s Top 50. From the outset, his varied shotmaking and ability to adapt across surfaces was unmistakable.
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Alcaraz announced himself with early brilliance in 2022, dazzling en route to the ATP 500 crown in Rio before reaching the semi-finals in Indian Wells — where he pushed his idol, Rafael Nadal, to three sets. He then claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami. Although Alcaraz suffered a disappointing first-round exit in Monte-Carlo, the teen entered the Top 10 for the first time, and did not stop there.
On home soil, the then-19-year-old soared to consecutive titles in Barcelona and in Madrid, where he became the youngest player to defeat Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same tournament. Heading into the North American hard-court swing, Alcaraz had racked up 4,270 PIF ATP Rankings points to not only cement his status among the favourites for the US Open, but to put him in strong contention to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.
At Flushing Meadows, the third-seeded Alcaraz was put through his paces in an exhausting second week. His epic five-hour, 15-minute victory over Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals — the third-longest match in US Open history — was followed by another five-setter against Frances Tiafoe to set up a final with Casper Ruud. The championship match against the Norwegian doubled as a straight shootout to ascend to World No. 1.
The tension was palpable inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Alcaraz held his nerve over four thrilling sets to secure the top spot, becoming the youngest player to reach the pinnacle in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings at 19 years and four months.
“It’s crazy for me. I never thought that I was going to achieve something like that at 19 years old,” Alcaraz said after the final. “Everything came so fast. For me, it’s unbelievable. It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid, since I started playing tennis. Of course, lifting this trophy today is amazing for me.”
Although Alcaraz suffered an abdominal tear that kept him out of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where he qualified in pole position, he was still present to receive ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The Spaniard, who went on to spend an initial 20 weeks at the summit, became the youngest player in history to receive the award.
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