Carlos Alcaraz follows Rafael Nadal's record

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The ATP Finals takes place between November 13-20 in Turin, with eight players battling for the notable trophy and 1500 ATP points. The ATP Race leaders Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are the first players to clinch the Turin berth, with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud looking to join them soon. Carlos Alcaraz has made incredible progress since becoming a pro, passing one rival after another in no time and becoming one of the world's leading figures right after turning 19. The young Spaniard will compete at the ATP Finals for the first time, heading to Turinat 19 years and six months. Thus, Carlos is the youngest player to qualify for the premium ATP event since Rafael Nadal in 2005.

Nadal skipped his first ATP Finals due to a foot injury, and Alcaraz should become the youngest player to compete at this event since Andrei Medvedev in 1993! Carlos is 49-9 this year, working with former world no. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero and taking giant steps towards the ATP throne, still as a teenager. Alcaraz settled into the top-40 in 2021 and had high hopes ahead of the current sets. The Spaniard suffered an early Australian Open loss in a thriller against Matteo Berrettini and switched his focus to clay. Alcaraz celebrated the title in Rio de Janeiro and gained a boost. He lost an epic Indian Wells semi-final to Nadal, bouncing back two weeks later and conquering the first Masters 1000 crown in Miami. Carlos defeated Casper Ruud in the title clash to become the third-youngest Masters 1000 champion after Michael Chang and Rafael Nadal. 

Carlos Alcaraz will make his debut at the ATP Finals in Turin.

A teenager clinched another ATP 500 title in Barcelona and cracked the top-10 the following day. At 18 years and 11 months, Alcaraz became the youngest top-10 player since Rafael Nadal in 2005! With a boost on his side, a teenager ousted Nadal and Djokovic en route to his second Masters 1000 crown within two months in Madrid. The champion was born, becoming a serious contender for a place in Turin. Carlos lost in the Roland Garros quarter-final to Alexander Zverev and fell in the Wimbledon fourth round. The Spaniard returned to clay and lost back-to-back finals in Hamburg and Umag. He entered the top-4 with those points and stood as one of the US Open favorites.

Alcaraz has proven that on the court, beating five rivals and reaching the first Major semi-final. Carlos prevailed in the semi-final against Jannik Sinner to remain on the title course and keep his chances of becoming world no. 1 alive. The Spaniard ousted the Italian 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 after five hours and 15 minutes of an epic battle. They completed the duel at 2:50 and set the record for the latest finished match at the season's last Major. Carlos fended off a match point at 4-5 in the fourth set, rattled off four straight games and came from a break down in the decider to emerge at the top. If he beats Frances Tiafoe in the semi-final, Alcaraz will become the new Spanish no. 1 ahead of Rafael Nadal. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/Ji7GDU6

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