"I'm happy to know that I'm in the top 10 at 18 years old, and doing it on the same date as my idol Rafa is amazing" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz continues to walk down the path once treaded by his idol Rafael Nadal. The Spanish teenager cracked the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career on Monday at the age of 18. He follows in the footsteps of Nadal, who made his top-10 debut on the same day, 17 years ago.
Alcaraz, touted to be the heir apparent to Spanish great Nadal, beat countryman Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-3, 6-2 in the Barcelona Open final on Sunday to collect his fourth career title. With the win, he climbed two spots to No. 9 in the latest rankings which were updated on Monday.
Nadal, meanwhile, cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2005, rising from No. 11 to No. 7 after beating fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in the Barcelona final. Interestingly, Ferrero is now the coach of Alcaraz.
MIND. BLOWN. 🤯
Same Place. Same Day. Different 18yr old Spaniard 🇪🇸
April 25th 2005 - @RafaelNadal breaks into the Top 10 after winning in Barcelona
April 25th 2022- @alcarazcarlos03 breaks into the Top 10 after Barcelona https://t.co/krmkHpBf8i
Speaking after his win against Carreno Busta, Alcaraz said he was delighted to have emulated his idol.
"I'm happy to know that I'm in the Top 10 at 18 years old, and doing it on the same date as my idol Rafa is amazing," said Carlos Alcaraz.
23-3 record in 2022 🔥
New World No.9 💥
Congrats to the champ @alcarazcarlos03! https://t.co/rUi3d7ZUvE
At 18 years, 11 months and 20 days, Alcaraz also became the ninth youngest player to enter the top 10 since the introduction of the ATP rankings in 1973. He is the youngest player to accomplish the feat since Nadal (18 years, 10 months and 22 days) in 2005.
Diving into the Top 10 like...💦
@alcarazcarlos03 #BCNOpenBS https://t.co/J0PZgFIzxM
Other notable Spanish players to win the Barcelona Open are Manolo Santana, Manuel Orantes, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Albert Costa, and Carlos Moya.
Alcaraz said he was thrilled to join such an illustrious list.
"It means a lot. I've watched this tournament since I was a kid. I always wished to play in this tournament and, of course, to be able to win this tournament. So I'm really, really happy to be part of the Spanish history list," said Carlos Alcaraz.
"I'm really, really happy to be a part of Spanish history."
🇪🇸 Your name is etched in the history books, @alcarazcarlos03.
#BCNOpenBS https://t.co/mFdzIizf13
"I've always been a normal boy, fame doesn't scare me" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz took home his third title of the season in Barcelona, joining Australian Open champion Nadal and recently crowned Serbia Open winner Andrey Rublev as the players with the most trophies in 2022.
The Spaniard's rise has been truly astonoshing and he is now well and truly in the spotlight ahead of the French Open next month.
Most Titles on @ATPTour in 2022
@AlcarazCarlos03 (3): @BCNOpenBS (Today), @MiamiOpen, @RioOpenOficial
@RafaelNadal (3): @AbiertoTelcel, @AustralianOpen, Melbourne #ATP 250
@AndreyRublev97 (3): @SerbiaOpen2022 (Today), @DDFTennis, @Open13
In his post-match press conference, the Spaniard said he's not afraid of the limelight and that fame would not change him as a person.
"I've always been a normal boy. Fame doesn't scare me, I'm going to continue being the same as always, I'm not going to change the person I am," said Alcaraz.
He also stressted that he doesn't want to set any limits on what he can achieve on the court.
"I don't have any limits, I don't want to set any. I want to continue playing at the level I have and I think that if I continue like this I have many options to continue climbing. I want to continue enjoying myself on the court, I still don't want to touch the ceiling," said Carlos Alcaraz.
Winners from everywhere 🥶
Devastating tennis from @alcarazcarlos03 to take the Barcelona title! https://t.co/NuulTOloBe