Before his rapid rise to become the youngest No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in September 2022, Carlos Alcaraz was World No. 406 when he made his ATP Tour debut at the Rio Open presented by Claro on 17 February 2020.
Six years ago this week, then 16, the Spaniard immediately showed a flair for the dramatics in his introduction — a characteristic that continues to define the superstar’s career. A wild card at the Brazilian ATP 500, Alcaraz claimed his first tour-level win at 3 a.m., after three hours and 37 minutes full of twists and turns against Albert Ramos-Vinolas on the Brazilian red clay.
From 0-3, 0/40 down in the deciding set, the Spaniard turned on the aggression to rattle off five games to move to the brink of victory. After showcasing his style, he then relied on grit to close out the match in a deciding tie-break, 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(2).
“I will remember Rio forever,” Alcaraz said. “I am very happy to win my first ATP Tour match. This has been the longest and most intense match I’ve played so far. There were quite difficult conditions, but if you have the right attitude, the conditions don’t matter. You can achieve anything.”
That same mindset helped Alcaraz rocket up the PIF ATP Rankings in the months and years that followed. He finished the 2020 season at No. 141, rose to No. 32 at the end of 2021 and finished as year-end No. 1 in 2022.
“I always have positive thoughts. I always think I can win, no matter who the opponent is,” the Spaniard said after beating then-World No. 41 Ramos-Vinolas. “If you don’t think you can win, you shouldn’t go on the court.”
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The victory made Alcaraz the youngest player to win an ATP 500 match in series history (since 2009), the youngest ATP Tour match-winner overall since Cristian Garin in 2013 (Vina del Mar) and the youngest Spaniard to win at tour-level since Rafael Nadal in 2002 (Mallorca). Alcaraz also became the youngest man to beat a Top-50 opponent since Richard Gasquet beat Feliciano Lopez in 2003 (Marseille).
Alcaraz had never before faced a Top-100 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, but he showed no fear in his tour-level debut. Flashing the power, variety and shot selection he would soon become famous for, the youngster appeared at ease on the big stage.
Building points around his forehand and setting up that stroke with heavy topspin backhands, Alcaraz led by a set and a break before Ramos-Vinolas won seven of eight games from 2-3 in the second set. But just when it looked like the physicality of the match was too much for the 16-year-old, Alcaraz turned the tide with a burst of his own.
Though he was broken at love in his attempt to serve out the match at 5-4, Alcaraz regrouped and dominated the deciding tie-break, dropping his racquet and bringing his hands to his face in celebration after sealing the result on his fourth match point.
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Alcaraz ultimately bowed out to Federico Coria in three sets in the Rio de Janeiro second round and did not play another tour-level match in 2020. But his win against Ramos-Vinolas, coupled with two ATP Challenger Tour titles later in the year, ensured the hype around the Spaniard continued to grow — with his game developing just as fast.
While his memorable debut win ended hours before dawn, it marked the beginning of a rise that would soon light up the ATP Tour. And this week, six years later, Alcaraz is the World No. 1 and set to compete in the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.
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