The Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who at the age of 19 became the youngest world No.1 in the history of tennis by winning the US Open his maiden Grand Slam title, was amazed by the idea that he could leave a trace in history. He said, “It’s incredible to leave a trace in history.”
On the court, Carlos Alcaraz summed up his feelings about the situation by saying, “I dreamed about it for a long time, to be number 1, to win a Grand Slam title.” I worked extremely hard. It’s difficult to discuss since there are so many feelings involved, and it jumbles everything… The fact that I am only 19 years old makes it incredibly significant. I told you that now was not the time to feel exhausted. To win the Grand Slam, you have to play at your absolute best. Everything that is still in our possession. After a brief pause, he promptly added the following on Twitter: “These past two weeks have been great, with really challenging matches.” Thank you very much for your support, New York City; the atmosphere on the court is hard to describe. And I’d like to extend my gratitude to everyone on the opposite side of the world who stays up late or wakes up early to show their support for me. At a press conference, in comments that were carried by AFP, he took the time to recount the emotions of winning his first major victory against Casper Ruud in the US Open final with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in 3 minutes and twenty seconds. The match lasted 3 minutes and twenty seconds. And declared that he will begin playing in the Davis Cup beginning this coming Wednesday in Valencia (Spain is in the same group as Serbia, Canada, and South Korea), where the competition will be held. The new world No. 1 and champion of the US Open takes on the competition in the present. someone who, in the space of two weeks, has unexpectedly shifted dimensions.
You won the US Open and you are world No.1, how do you feel?
“Are you kidding me? At 19 years old, I could never in my wildest dreams have envisioned accomplishing something like this. Everything took place in a flash. It’s amazing to think about. Since I was a little boy and ever since I first started playing tennis, I have had this fantasy. To be able to lift this trophy is a fantastic accomplishment. It’s an amazing feeling to know that my name will live on in history… It is considerably more difficult to do what the “Big 3” (Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, editor’s note) have accomplished, which is to maintain this level for twenty years. I don’t want to put myself in the same category as them since I look up to them. There is a great deal of room for progress in my mental game, as well as in my tennis game, my physical game, and everything else. My first Grand Slam victory and the No. 1 ranking both came quite quickly, but I can’t let myself become complacent or stay in my comfort zone; I have to keep moving forward. Not only was I an excellent tennis player, but I also demonstrated a high mental level, a lot of heart, and enormous.»
Will this new status change you?
“I’m not going to change; I’m going to keep being the same boy, and I’m going to keep saying hello to everyone on the street in my village.” I am very happy to be Spanish, to come from the region of Murcia, and to be from El Palmar. There are going to be a lot of things that come the way that I never in a million years would have imagined happening to me at this age, but knowing who I am, I won’t have any trouble keeping my feet on the ground. I will not change into a different person; I will keep the same friends and stay with the same family. When I get back to Spain, I will pay a visit to my friends, as well as my family, and we will continue our normal routine. I won’t be able to think about anything other than rejoicing with them. In terms of tennis, it should come as no surprise that I intend to carry on competing, amassing several championships, and maintaining a position as high as possible in the rankings for the longest period, much like the Big 3 did. And because of that, I can’t pause what I’m doing; I have to carry on and keep working.
You repeated that you dreamed of being N.1, of winning a Grand Slam… When did you think that was possible?
“If I’m being completely honest, ever since I won the Miami Masters 1000. After that, I went on a tear and won several significant matches in a row (he defeated Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in Madrid, before going on to win the tournament, editor’s note), and I convinced myself that I was capable of winning a Grand Slam title. But before I went to Miami, I believed that I still had room to improve. I was aware that I had the potential to do well in Grand Slam competitions, but I never imagined that I would win one.
Has your appetite whetted?
“For the time being, I’m going to try to savor the present. The feel of this cup in my hands is very pleasant. But of course, I’m interested in more! I hope to maintain my position at the top for a considerable amount of time, possibly even years. After these two incredible weeks, I am going to put in a lot of effort, and I am going to fight my hardest to win more awards like this.