The Ascension of Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz with the 2023 Laureus World Breathrough of the Year award (Image: Getty Images)

The Spanish sensation, Carlos Alcaraz, has won the 2023 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award. Alcaraz continues to impress having won Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, and most recently Madrid. Alcaraz’s victory in Madrid saw him become only the second player to retain the title after tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

After losing in the third round to Matteo Berrettini in a gruelling five-set match – 2-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-10) - at the 2022 Australian Open, Alcaraz bounced back a couple of weeks later at the Rio Open. The Spaniard won his opening two matches at the tournament and got his revenge against Berrettini, winning their quarter-final match 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

A straight-sets victory in the semi-finals meant that Alcaraz would face Diego Schwartzman in the final. After a dominating performance, which saw the Spanish teenager convert five of his six break-point chances, Alcaraz hoisted his first ATP Tour 500 title. At just 18 years and 10 months old, the Spaniard became the youngest player to win an ATP Tour 500 tournament.

In February and March, Alcaraz enjoyed more success as he won his Davis Cup qualifying round against the Romanian Marius Copil. After an opening round “bye” – when a player automatically advances to the next round in a tournament without having to play a match against an opponent – at the Indian Wells Masters, Alcaraz cruised his way to the semi-finals after winning the previous rounds in straight sets. Alcaraz’s impressive run would end at the semi-final stage as he fell to Nadal.

After a wonderful display of tennis at the Miami Open in April, the Spaniard’s hunt for his first Masters 1000 title would end. Alcaraz faced an up-and-coming star in Casper Ruud in the final. It was a match featuring the future of tennis. In the end, Alcaraz’s aggressive style was too much for the Norwegian to handle as the match ended 7-5, 6-4. It was a near-flawless tournament for Alcaraz as he only dropped a single set. Alcaraz became the youngest player ever to win the Miami Open.

A week on from his win in Miami, Alcaraz was knocked out in the second round at the Monte Carlo Masters by Sebastian Korda. It was a surprising setback for the Spaniard, but it didn’t take him long to recover.

At the Barcelona Open, Alcaraz showed his quality once again. He battled his way to the semi-finals but was hit with an injury scare after falling down a flight of stairs. There was a chance that the Spaniard may be unfit to compete. But that didn’t derail him as he went on to win the tournament in stunning fashion.

At the Madrid Open, not only did the Spanish superstar have one of his greatest moments, but tennis also had one of its greatest moments. Alcaraz successfully navigated his way through the opening three rounds which gave him a quarter-final match against Nadal.

The first set was very comfortable for Alcaraz as he won 6-2. In the second set the youngster, in an attempt to reach what proved to be a game-winning forehand, twisted his right ankle. After a lengthy medical timeout, Alcaraz returned to the court with heavy strapping and looked visibly hampered. Nadal took control and dominated the second set by winning it 6-1.

Nadal was now a heavy favourite to win the match, but Alcaraz began moving freely once again and unleashed his game on Nadal to break to love and consolidate the break to lead 4-2. Alcaraz showed his mettle by serving out the remainder of the match and became the first teenager to beat Nadal on clay.

A semi-final with the world number one, Novak Djokovic, awaited Alcaraz.

Alcaraz with Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Madrid Open (Image: Getty Images)

It was a three-hour, 35-minute epic encounter with the Serbian. The match was extremely close; both players refused to back down.

In the opening set, it was the Spaniard who drew first blood, racing out to a 2-0 lead. After continuously knocking on the door for seven games, Djokovic finally broke through in the eighth and managed to get the match back on level terms on 4-4.

Djokovic, showing no signs of cracking, won a remarkable 21 successive points on his own serve but was unable to break the serve of his opponent. The first set went to a tie-break. In the tie-break, Djokovic established an early lead and had four set points at 6-2. But the ever-resilient Alcaraz did not give up and managed to save three set points. Djokovic, however, was not to be denied as he converted his fourth opportunity.

Much like the tail end of the first set, the second was very tight with neither player giving an inch until the 12th game. It was the Serbian who made the first crucial error, giving the teenager three set points. A winner hit up the line by Alcaraz was enough to push this pulsating match into a deciding set.

Alcaraz’s tail was up and continued to apply pressure on Djokovic's serve. But Djokovic, who is widely regarded as the greatest returner ever, fended off three break points in the fourth game, keeping the match poised at 2-2.

At 5-4, Alcaraz carved out his first match point. But this was quickly dismissed by Djokovic with a clutch ace. As the match entered its climax, both players kept their nerve in pressure situations and the match fittingly entered another tie-break. After the near four-hour match, it was Alcaraz who came out on top winning the third set tie-break 7-5.

The Spaniard became the first teenager, and the 12th overall player, to beat Nadal and Djokovic at the same event and the fifth player to beat them in consecutive days at the same event.

Alcaraz capped off his historic performance with a comprehensive win over Alexander Zverev in the final and became the youngest player to win the Madrid Open at 19.

Over the next couple of months, Alcaraz was unable to reach the same heights as he did in Madrid as he lost in the quarter-finals and the fourth round of the French Open and Wimbledon respectively. Back-to-back final defeats in Hamburg and Croatia saw Alcaraz remain without an ATP title all summer.

As the final grand slam of the year arrived, the US Open, Alcaraz competed in the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters to try to ensure that he entered the US Open in the best form possible. But after early exits, Alcaraz went into the tournament trying to find form in the early rounds.

After two sets and a break in the third, Alcaraz’s opponent, Sebastian Baez, was forced to retire due to injury. Rounds two and three were also comfortably won. The Spaniard began hitting the form that had eluded him in the previous months.

His first big test came against Marin Cilic. Cilic, a former US Open Champion, took Alcaraz the distance but the youngster proved to be too much to handle as Cilic in the deciding set lost his serve and ended up losing the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Post match handshake between Alcaraz and former US Open winner, Marin Cilic (Image: Getty Images)

Through to the quarter-finals, Alcaraz would face Jannik Sinner. Sinner is another player with a very bright future ahead of him and another force to be reckoned with.

It was another five-set classic with Alcaraz prevailing once again. The match lasted five hours and 15 minutes and was full of action-packed tennis with the Spaniard saving a match point in the fourth set. Despite coming back from a breakdown in the decider, he showed once again what a wonderful and special talent he is.

In the semis, Alcaraz would face Francis Tiafoe. Tiafoe, already having knocked out Nadal in the fourth round, was having an incredible tournament. Backed by his home crowd, this could be the chance for an American to reach the men's final. But the Spanish supernova would ruin the American party by winning in another five-set match. Alcaraz had the chance to seal his ticket to the final in the fourth but was held off by a delightful re-drop off Alcaraz’s drop shot. Tiafoe went on to clinch the fourth set in a tiebreak.

At the start of set five, Alcaraz established an early break, but Tiafoe would not go away as he would pull off more heroics to even the score. But the ever-resilient Spaniard refused to yield. Just like his opponent, Alcaraz dug even deeper to break once again and closed out the match, winning the fifth set 6-3.

The final was a repeat of the Miami Open: Alcaraz v Ruud. Both players bidding to win their first major title. For Alcaraz, a win would see him become the youngest world number-one in tennis history.

The first set was won by the Spaniard 6-4. The second set was full of errors and questionable decision-making by Alcaraz and Ruud made him pay the price by dominating the set and winning it 6-2. At the beginning of the third, Alcaraz was still a bit unsteady in his play while Ruud began serving well and started to impose himself specifically on the forehand side.

At 6-5 in the third set, Ruud unleashed a flurry of wonderful forehands to create two set points. With his back firmly against the wall, Alcaraz was forced to respond. The Spaniard played an exquisite forehand drop volley to save the first. When the second set point came, the teenager played an excellent serve and volley to stay in the set. Alcaraz was able to serve out the remainder of the game and take the set to a tie-break.

Alcaraz alongside Norway’s Casper Ruud after he won the 2022 US Open (Image: Getty Images)

Ruud, having given everything to break Alcaraz in the previous game, had nothing left as he dropped seven straight points to lose the set 7-6.

In the fourth set, Alcaraz’s shotmaking and supreme ability was too much for Ruud as he broke the Norwegian’s serve and led the set comfortably 5-2. Aces 13 and 14 helped the Spaniard bring up two chances to win the title. With a 125-mph service winner, Alcaraz sealed the deal and won his first major title in Flushing Meadows.

Throughout the 2022 ATP season, Alcaraz made stride after stride and has already etched his name in the history books at just 20-years-old (recently turned). His historical season earned him the ATP Player of the Year award and the ATP Most Improved Player award. With a Laureus award in his trophy cabinet, the young talent will now look to add more accolades to his collection as he continues his phenomenal run in the ATP 2023 season.