Crowning moment for Alcaraz: 'King' Nadal applauds teenager's Madrid Open win
Follow19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz has impressed 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal after becoming the youngest champion in Madrid Open history on Sunday.
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He is being pegged as the next Rafael Nadal. And 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz continues to impress. The Spanish teenage sensation created history by becoming the youngest champion at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday after dispatching World No. 3 Alexander Zverev to capture his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the season.
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Alcaraz, who defeated Rafael Nadal and World No.1 Novak Djokovic in his previous two matches, swept aside the German second seed 6-3 6-1. It is the Spaniard's fourth title of the year and Alcaraz's childhood hero Nadal is impressed with his historic win.
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Taking to Instagram, the 21-time Grand Slam winner said, "Congratulations Charles!!!!! What a great tournament. Big win!!! šššš" With his 61-minute victory at the Caja Magica, Alcaraz also became the second-youngest player to win two ATP Masters 1000 titles, after triumphing in Miami in March. Nadal captured crowns in Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005 when he was 18.
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Just 12 months ago, Alcaraz was ranked at No. 120 in the ATP Rankings when he made his debut in the Spanish capital. However, after soaring to five tour-level titles since, the 19-year-old will climb to a career-high No. 6 in the rankings on Monday.
Also read: Real Madrid lauds 'great Madridista' Alcaraz for creating history at La Caja Magica
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"This tournament is special for me because it's a tournament I came and watched when I was seven or eight," the Madrid Open 2022 champion said.
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Alcaraz also said he would be skipping the Rome Masters to recover from the ankle injury he suffered in the Madrid quarter-finals and be ready for the French Open, which starts on May 22.
