7 youngest male Grand Slam singles champions ft. Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are among the youngest male Grand Slam singles champions of all time.
Alcaraz won his maiden Major title at the US Open by beating Casper Ruud in the final in four sets. The Spaniard produced some sensational tennis throughout the tournament, including winning three successive five-setters.
Apart from winning his first Grand Slam title, Carlos Alcaraz also became the youngest male World No. 1 in history.
Winning a Grand Slam is a dream for any tennis player and over the years, there have been a number of top players who have won them. Triumphing in a Major is a great achievement but doing so when you're a teenager is an unbelievable achievement.
On that note, let's take a look at the 7 youngest male Grand Slam champions.
#7. Carlos Alcaraz- 19 years and 129 days
Carlos Alcaraz is the most recent addition to this list following his triumph at the US Open.
The Spaniard was seeded third in the tournament and reached the fourth round without dropping a single set. Carlos Alcaraz faced Marin Cilic in the last 16 and beat him 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinal.
Here, he was up against Jannik Sinner, who had beaten him twice this season. The match was a thrilling encounter and the Italian had a match point in the fourth set. However, Carlos Alcaraz saved it and went on to win 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3 to make it to his maiden Grand Slam semifinal.
Here, he was up against Frances Tiafoe, who beat the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev en route to the last four at Flushing Meadows. The match went to five sets and Carlos Alcaraz once again came out on top to reach his maiden Grand Slam final.
Here, he beat fifth seed Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 to win his first Major title. Carlos Alcaraz also became the youngest World No. 1 in history and the youngest Grand Slam singles champion since Rafael Nadal in 2005.
Youngest Miami & Madrid men’s champion
✨ Youngest Miami & Madrid men’s champion
✨ Youngest to defeat both Nadal & Djokovic
✨ Youngest ATP500 champion ever (Rio 2022)
✨ Youngest US Open champ since Sampras (1990)
✨Youngest Grand Slam champ since Nadal (2005)
✨Youngest World No.1 EVER
@carlosalcaraz is SPECIAL 🤩 https://t.co/X30UlfAAeK
#6. Pete Sampras- 19 years and 29 days
Pete Sampras is one of the greatest tennis players of all time with 14 Grand Slam singles titles to his name. The first of these came at the US Open in 1990, when he was just 19 years old.
The American was seeded 12th in the tournament and reached the last 16 without dropping a single set. Sampras beat sixth seed Thomaz Muster before overcoming Ivan Lendl in five sets.
Next up was the experienced John McEnroe, who he beat 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to reach his maiden Grand Slam final.
Sampras faced his future rival Andre Agassi in the title clash and defeated him 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to win his first Major title.
#5. Rafael Nadal- 19 years and 2 days
Rafael Nadal has more Grand Slam singles titles than any man in tennis history as of now. His first triumph came at his favorite tournament, the French Open back in 2005.
Seeded fourth in the tournament, Rafael Nadal produced some brilliant tennis and reached the quarterfinals.
The King of Clay beat 20th seed David Ferrer to set up a semifinal clash against World No. 1 Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal beat the Swiss 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first Grand Slam final.
Here, Nadal was up against Mariano Puerta and beat him 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to win his maiden Major title.
#4. Bjorn Borg- 18 years and 10 days
Bjorn Borg was a precocious talent and attained a lot of success at a very young age. The Swede won his maiden Grand Slam singles title at the French Open in 1974.
Seeded third in the tournament, Borg reached the quarterfinals following wins over Jean-Francois Caujolle, Toma Ovici, Jean-Loup Rouyer and Erik van Dillen.
He survived a thrilling five-set encounter against Raul Ramirez in the quarterfinals before beating Harold Solomon to reach his first Grand Slam final. Here, Borg came back from two sets down to defeat Manuel Orantes and win his first Major. He would go on to win five more titles at Roland Garros, a record that stood until Rafael Nadal overtook the Swede by winning the 2012 French Open.
#3. Mats Wilander- 17 years and 293 days
Another Swedish great, Mats Wilander, won his maiden Grand Slam singles title at the age of 17 years and 293 days at the 1982 French Open. Wilander reached the fourth round without dropping a single set and stunned second seed Ivan Lendl to seal his place in the quarterfinals.
The Swede went on a giant-killing spree to beat Vitas Gerulaitis and Jose Luis Clerc to book his place in the final. Here, he came back from a set down to beat Guillermo Vilas 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-0, 6-4 and win the tournament.
#2. Boris Becker- 17 years and 228 days
The only Wimbledon triumph on this list is Boris Becker's magical run in 1985. The German reached the quarterfinals after grinding out wins against Joakim Nystrom and Tim Mayotte.
Here, he beat Henri Leconte to seal his place in the semifinals. The then 17-year-old came back from a set down to beat Anders Jarryd and seal his place in the final. He defeated Kevin Curren in four sets to become the youngest-ever male Wimbledon champion, a record which still stands.
#1. Michael Chang- 17 years and 110 days
The American's only Grand Slam triumph came at the French Open in 1989, where he was seeded 15th.
Chang reached the fourth round with wins over Edouardo Masso, Pete Sampras and Francisco Roig. He then came back from two sets down and battled past severe cramping to defeat Ivan Lendl and reach the quarterfinals.
Here, Chang beat Ronald Agenor before defeating Andrei Chesnokov to reach his maiden Grand Slam final. The American defeated Stefan Edberg in five sets to become the youngest male Grand Slam champion ever.
Happy Birthday, Michael Chang! 🎉
What’s your favourite memory of the 1989 @rolandgarros champion? https://t.co/1LwZitBQug