Carlos Alcaraz made history this Sunday by retaining his Madrid Open title, defeating Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a thrilling final. With this win, the Spanish phenom becomes one of the youngest players ever to collect 10 tour-level titles in the Open Era. At 20 years old—having just turned a year older on Friday—he is surpassed in this achievement only by five icons who did it at 19: Mats Wilander, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, and Andre Agassi.
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.
Although the world no. 2 won the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, that victory is categorized separately from standard tour-level trophies. His collection of 10 titles consists of seven clay-court wins and three on hard courts, all achieved at the ATP Masters 1000 level. Alcaraz currently boasts a Masters 1000 winning percentage of 77.6%, a figure that ranks just behind the active legends Rafael Nadal (82.2%) and Novak Djokovic (82%).
The Spaniard is now shifting his focus to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, another Masters 1000 event where he hopes to secure his fifth trophy of the season. This marks Alcaraz's first-ever appearance at the Rome Masters, and he is eager to use the opportunity to challenge Djokovic for the world no. 1 ranking.
Following his triumph in Madrid, Alcaraz shared that he feels completely fit and driven to refine his game as he prepares for the French Open, set to begin on May 28. He described himself as an ambitious competitor and stated he is going all-out to win in Rome. Reflecting on his current trajectory, Alcaraz admitted that his achievements feel significant, noting that he is deeply proud of his progress and the hard work he has invested.
Alcaraz expressed great excitement about his upcoming debut in Rome, mentioning that it's a tournament he has dreamed of playing since childhood and regretted missing last year. While he isn't sure exactly what to expect or how the atmosphere will feel, he is certain he will enjoy the experience. He added that he is particularly looking forward to performing in front of the passionate Italian fans once again.
In other news from Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka claimed the Madrid Open title by defeating the world no. 1, Iga Swiatek, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. It was a standout performance from the Belarusian, marking her first-ever victory over the Polish star on a clay surface.