Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz ushered in a new era in men's tennis as he defeated Norway's Casper Ruud in an epic US Open final to lift his maiden Grand Slam title and also rise to the top of world rankings.
Alcaraz, 19, became the youngest man to reach the world No 1 ranking and thus cemented his status as the future superstar of tennis.
He fought his way to a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Ruud in New York on Sunday.
"This is something I dreamed of since I was a kid, to be number one in the world, to be the champion at a Grand Slam," he said in an on-court interview.
"All the hard work that I did with my team, with my family. I'm just 19-years-old so all of the tough decisions are with my parents and my team as well. This is something that is really, really special for me."
Alcaraz had a difficult path to the title. He battled from a break down in the fifth set to beat Marin Cilic in the fourth round, played the latest finishing match in tournament history to defeat Italy's Jannik Sinner in the last eight, and had to dig deep against American Frances Tiafoe in the semi-final.
A number of celebrities attended the final between Alcaraz and Ruud. They included model Kendall Jenner, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actress Anne Hathaway, among others.
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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain poses inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium with the championship trophy after defeating Casper Ruud of Norway during the men's final match at the US Open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 11 September 2022. EPA -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after beatings Norway's Casper Ruud to win the 2022 US Open men's final. AFP -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy. AFP -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Norway's Casper Ruud pose with their trophies following their 2022 US Open men's final match. AFP -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning the men's final against Norway's Casper Ruud. Reuters -
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the championship trophy. Reuters -
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with his coaching team. Reuters -
Norway's Casper Ruud, right, congratulates Spain's Carlos Alcaraz after winning the 2022 US Open final. AFP -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to Norway's Casper Ruud. AFP -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to Norway's Casper Ruud. AFP -
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy. AFP
