"I thought about a young man 10 years ago dreaming of this moment" - Carlos Alcaraz on his emotions after advancing to maiden Grand Slam final at US Open
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 to become the first teenager to reach a US Open final since Pete Sampras in 2005.
Alcaraz will play his first-ever Grand Slam final against Casper Ruud of Norway on Sunday and the two will also battle it out for the coveted World No. 1 ranking in men's tennis.
At his post-match press conference, the gifted Spaniard, who won three successive five-setters en route to the title round, stated that he felt "great" and revealed that he had dreamt of a moment like this as a young man ten years ago.
"I feel great right now. I mean, a little bit tired. But, yeah, I feel good, I feel great. Right now I'm just so, so happy. I thought about a young man like 10 years ago dreaming of this moment right now. Yeah, I'm feeling great," an elated Alcaraz said.
"[Will tell the little kid from Murica to] follow his dream. If you work hard, all the hard work, it pays off. Right now you can see that all the hard work I put every day is paying off right now," he added.
UNSTOPPABLE CARLITOS 💥
One step closer to a childhood dream! 🏆
📸Getty
#carlosalcaraz #alcaraz #usopen #tiebreaktennis #tiafoe https://t.co/nGK1CZaaSI
A dream run on clay prior to the French Open that included back-to-back wins against Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev at the Rome Masters made Alcaraz one of the pretournament favorites going into Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz, playing like this French Open favorite thing is old hat, beats Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to reach his second Grand Slam quarterfinal after last year's US Open. He will face No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev, whom he beat this month to win the Madrid Open
#getty https://t.co/14DzB12xKf
The teenager failed to make it past the quarterfinals after being undone by Zverev but now has a second chance at going the distance in a Grand Slam.
Carlos Alcaraz on cusp of history ahead of US Open final against Casper Ruud
Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud will square off for the US Open title and the World No. 1 position on Sunday. Alcaraz has faced Ruud twice in the past and has managed to register wins on both occasions.
The player from Murcia first got the better of the Norwegian 6-2 6-4 on the red dirt of Marbella during a quarterfinal encounter.
Alcaraz's second win against Ruud was in the finals of the Miami Open earlier this year, with the teenager prevailing by a 7-5, 6-4 margin.
While the 19-year-old will be playing his first-ever Grand Slam final, Ruud is familiar with the pressure of the big stage after taking on Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2022 French Open.
Nadal went on to win the Roland Garros final by a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 margin and the fifth seed will be keen to do better in his second Grand Slam final of the season.
23yo Casper Ruud beats 33yo Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to reach his first career Grand Slam final at #RolandGarros.
What a moment for him!
All @rnadalacademy final vs. his idol Rafa Nadal on Sunday!
[getty] https://t.co/yIHicGHtFk
Interestingly, while both Ruud and Alcaraz consider Rafael Nadal their idol, they will be competing for the World No. 1 spot at the cost of the 22-time Grand Slam champion, who lost out on the chance to return to the top after the two youngsters advanced to the championship match in New York.
Rafael Nadal must be beaming wherever he is. Alcaraz is certainly his protégé and Ruud has made Rafa Nadal's Academy his 2nd home. Also, both have aped Rafa's mannerism on the court - calm, collected even under the most intense of pressure. #USOpen2022
Carlos Alcaraz stands a chance to become the youngest-ever World No. 1 if he emerges triumphant in the final of the US Open.