Carlos Alcaraz scripted history on Sunday when he successfully defended his Madrid Open title, beating German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the summit clash. The Spanish young sensation became the sixth-youngest player to reach 10 tour-level titles in the Open Era. The 20-year-old Spaniard, who celebrated his birthday on Friday, was only beaten to the mark by five 19-year-olds, Mats Wilander, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, and Andre Agassi.
The world no.2 player was also champion at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, but that does not count towards players’ tour-level trophy collection. Seven of his crowns have come on clay and three on hard courts. The Spaniard has claimed 10 of his trophies at ATP Masters 1000 events. Alcaraz’s 77.6 winning percentage at Masters 1000 only trails Nadal (82.2%) and Serbian Novak Djokovic (82%) among active leaders in the tour.
Alcaraz will now turn his attention to another Masters 1000 event, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where the Spaniard will bid to earn his fifth title of the season. Alcaraz will be competing in the Rome Masters for the first time in his career. And he will be raring to reclaim the world no.1 spot from Djokovic.
After claiming the title in Madrid, Alcaraz said he is 100% fit and motivated to keep improving his game as he builds up for the French Open, which starts on May 28. I am an ambitious guy and I am going full for the win in Rome. What I am achieving is something big, Alcaraz confessed. Alcaraz further added that it is a special moment and he is very proud of what he is accomplishing and the work he is putting in.
It is going to be my first-time playing Rome. I really want to play there. I missed it last year, so this is a tournament that I looking for since I was a kid, Alcaraz said. I do not know how it is going to be, Rome. I also do not know the feelings over there, but for sure I am going to enjoy that tournament, he added. Of course, it is going to be great to play in front of the Italian crowd again, the Spaniard concluded.
Earlier on Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka defeated world no.1 Iga Swiatek 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to win the Madrid Open title. The Belarusian produced an extraordinary performance to beat the Pole for the first time on clay.
