A tornado took everything on his passage to Miami: Carlos Alcaraz, who became the youngest winner of this Masters 1000 at the age of 18, at the expense of the Norwegian Casper Ruud, asserts himself well as the phenomenon called to soon reign over world tennis.
In the tropical humidity of Florida, a fresh wind blew hard and we say to ourselves that the Spain of tennis is really lucky. While Rafael Nadal, winner of the last Australian Open and in fact the only record holder for the number of Grand Slam titles (21), continues to be reborn at 35, his designated successor is already ready to take over.
Ruud, 8th player in the world who was also playing his first final of an event in this category just below the four Majors, paid the price, beaten 7-5, 6-4.
And Alcaraz, 16th in the world, to win the third tournament of his career, the most prestigious, after those gleaned on clay in Rio de Janeiro in February and Umag, Croatia, last year.
The native of El Palmar, a town located near Murcia in the south-east of Spain, thus records his irresistible rise, started in a thunderous way last September when he had eliminated, after an epic fight of more four hours, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 3rd round of the US Open.
impressive spring
Alcaraz had been up to the quarterfinals, forced to give up against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a right adductor injury, paying a burst of energy to which he had never before been accustomed.
Stopped in the 3rd round at the Australian Open, after another big fight against the Italian Matteo Berrettini, the young Spaniard has since moved up a gear, as evidenced by his very impressive American spring.
He first reached the semis two weeks ago in Indian Wells, only beaten by Rafael Nadal, with experience, after a big showdown, in very windy conditions.
The sequence with Miami is difficult, it is well known, with a transition from dry to humid heat, but Alcaraz is a rock still very, very far from eroding.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, again, the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, after a fierce fight concluded in the decisive game of the third set when he was down 5-3, the Pole Hubert Hurkacz, tough defending champion, could not do anything make.
No more than Ruud, yet better entered the match, with his sharp forehands, taking the service of the Spaniard, who conceded his third break of the tournament.
Led 3-0, Alcaraz was quick to come out of its feverishness. He unbroken to come back to 4-3, then he took the opposing serve a second time, relying on his supersonic legs and his “Nadalian” defense, returning without bending the Norwegian’s cinder blocks to push him to the fault.
Future 11th in the world
At 6-5 serve to follow, Alcaraz had to erase a break point, before pocketing the set on his 3rd opportunity with a furious smash.
And he pressed his rival at the start of the second set, managing to steal the service from him, on his third break point, after a point of great beauty during which he played cat and mouse with Ruud.
On the edge of the abyss, the Norwegian, yet broken a second time in a row, had a start since he in turn took the commitment of the Spaniard, dropping his shots. It took four forehand attacks to bend Alcaraz, on his 6th opportunity.
The revolt of Ruud, who in the meantime had his lower back manipulated by a physiotherapist, was then contained by the young prodigy, who knew how to remain solid on his commitment, ending with a shutout and a serve and volley , demonstrating that his paddle is wider than that of the short-distance brawler.
No sooner had he collapsed, arms outstretched on the court, than he ran up to the stands to hug his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had returned from Spain this weekend where he had just buried his dad.
A moment of intense emotion, which should call many others for Alcaraz, who will become 11th player in the world on Monday, and is already scaring everyone before Roland-Garros.
