Tennis news today: Carlos Alcaraz becomes 4th youngest player to reach Masters 1000 final, Naomi Osaka wants to be World No. 1 again | 2 April 2022

Carlos Alcaraz, 18, became the fourth-youngest finalist at the Masters 1000 level by reaching the title round of the 2022 Miami Open. The Spaniard defeated defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka, who has reached the final in the women's event, has expressed her desire to become the top-ranked player in the world once again.

Danielle Collins became the latest high-profile player to withdraw from the upcoming Charleston Open, while Cameron Norrie is set to make his top-10 debut next week.

The draw for the US Men's Clay Court Championships, which will be held for the first time since 2019, has also been announced.

Here's a round-up of the day's biggest headlines:

Carlos Alcaraz continues his brilliant season by reaching the Miami Open final

Teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz continues to impress with his incredible performances. He knocked out defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in two tight sets to reach the final of the 2022 Miami Open. In doing so, he became the fourth youngest player to do so.

Youngest Masters 1000 finalists, all-time:

🇺🇸 Chang, Toronto ’90 (18 yrs, 157 days)
🇪🇸 Nadal, Miami 2005 (18 yrs, 304 days)
🇪🇸 Nadal, Monte Carlo 2005 (18 yrs, 318 days)
🇫🇷 Gasquet, Hamburg 2005 (18 yrs, 331 days)
🇪🇸 ALCARAZ, Miami 2022 (18 yrs, 333 days) https://t.co/qMqR6GQ32r

The Spaniard will take on World No. 8 Casper Ruud for the Miami Open title. If Alcaraz wins the title, he'll reach a career-high ranking of No. 11 and become the third youngest player to win a Masters 1000 title, after Michael Chang and Rafael Nadal.

"I would be lying if I said I wouldn't want to be No. 1 again but I know it's a process" - Naomi Osaka

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka first ascended to the top of the rankings in 2019 and held the top spot for a total of 25 weeks. She continued to be a top-10 mainstay until the end of 2021, when she skipped most of the season for mental health reasons.

After failing to defend her Australian Open title this year, Osaka's ranking took a huge hit. She is currently ranked 77th, but will be back in the top 40 after reaching the Miami Open final.

Osaka has now opened up about her desire to regain the top ranking once again.

"I would be lying if I said I wouldn't want to be No. 1 again but I know its a process. I know that you have to do well in all of the tournaments you play."

Iga Swiatek vs. Naomi Osaka for the #MiamiOpen title.

This will be the first match since the two met for the 1st time at 2019 Toronto.

In the electric encounter, Osaka won 76 64. https://t.co/9EUc06dvcz

Osaka will face off against Iga Swiatek for the title on Saturday.

Danielle Collins out of the 2022 Charleston Open

Danielle Collins became the latest player to pull out of the upcoming Charleston Open. Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko and Elina Svitolina, among others, have also withdrawn from the event.

Collins, who reached the final of the Australian Open, has been unable to capitalize on her strong start. She retired midway through her first-round match in Dubai due to an injury, which also forced her to withdraw from the Qatar Open and the Indian Wells Open.

Upon her return to action at the Miami Open, Collins made it to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Naomi Osaka in straight sets.

Cameron Norrie to make his top-10 debut next week

Cameron Norrie has been playing really well over the last year. He won two titles last year, including the Indian Wells Masters. He won his third career title at the Delray Beach Open this year and reached the final of the Mexican Open.

Norrie's title defense at the Indian Wells Masters ended in the quarterfinals after which he made it to the fourth round of the Miami Open. His string of good results has seen him rise up in the rankings.

Norrie is now set to make his top-10 debut when the updated ATP rankings are released next week.

Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka headline the ATP 250 event in Houston

The draw for the US Men's Clay Court Championships, an ATP 250 event to be held in Houston, is out. Main-draw action is set to begin on 4 April and there are some exciting matches straight off the bat.

Nick Kyrgios, who was awarded a wildcard, is up against Mackenzie McDonald in his opener. American youngster Jenson Brooksby will take on compatriot JJ Wolf.

Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka and John Isner are the top four seeds and have received a bye into the second round.