Carlos Alcaraz He conquered the United States Open this Sunday and became the sixth representative of Spanish tennis to reach the first position in the world ranking, after Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (1995), Carlos Moyá (1999), Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003), Rafa Nadal (2008) and Garbiñe Muguruza (2017).
Victory by 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1) and 6-3 in the final against Norwegian Casper Ruud enabled him to become the youngest ever world number one, by snatching this record from Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who achieved it at the age of 20 in 2001.
The Murcian player, only 19 years old, was crowned the first ‘great’ of his career and the fifth title of his magnificent season, after the Masters 1,000 in Miami and Madrid and the victories in Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro.
Since the creation of the ranking in 1973, six Spanish players have reached the first position in the world: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Carlos Moyá, Juan Carlos Ferrero (current coach of Alcaraz), Rafa Nadal, Garbiñe Muguruza and, from this Sunday, Alcaraz.
The first Spanish tennis player to reach the top of the world rankings was Arantxa Sánchez Vicariowhich achieved this in February 1995.
In her career, Arantxa Sánchez won a total of 29 titles, including three Roland Garros and one US Open.
On the ATP circuit, the first Spaniard to become number one in the world was Moyáwho achieved this in 1999, although his lead lasted only two weeks.
Roland Garros of 1998 shines on his record, with a total of 20 titles conquered.
It took four years for another Spanish player to climb to the top of the ATP rankings. It was Juan Carlos Ferrero, who achieved it in September 2003certainly after the US Open, the year he won Roland Garros.
The man from Alicante stayed at the top of the rankings for eight weeks and won a total of 16 titles.
After five years, Rafa Nadal is attacking the first position of the rankingin a year in which he placed hands in the first of his two Wimbledon tournaments.
Winner of 22 ‘majors’, he won a total of 92 trophies, 53 of them on clay.
He was number one in the world for 56 weeks and finished the season as the ranking leader five times: 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019.
The last Spanish player capable of reaching the top of the WTA rankings was Garbiñe Muguruzawho did it in 2017, when he was champion at Wimbledon.
Alcaraz took another step in his amazing growth and reached the roof of the world in New York, establishing himself as a great player to open a new era in the history of tennis.
1
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1995 – 12 weeks
two
Carlos Moya
1999 – 2 weeks
3
John Charles Ferrero
2003 – 8 weeks
4
Rafael Nadal
2008 – 209 weeks
5
Garbine Muguruza
2017 – 4 weeks
6
Carlos Alcaraz
2022
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
