Carlos Alcaraz – the young Spaniard’s route to becoming US Open champion

And while there was a sense that Medvedev upset the odds in 2021, that wasn’t the case with Alcaraz in 2022.

He entered the draw as the third seed and, given that the absence depleted the draw of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, was seen as one of the favourites to win.

This became true when top seed and defending champion Medvedev and Rafael Nadal exited the tournament in the fourth round. Suddenly, the route was clear for Alcaraz.

It helped that Alcaraz put in convincing wins in his first three matches of the Grand Slam. However, the going got much more challenging for him to come to the fourth round.

There, his match against Marin Cilic went the distance. Alcaraz took the first and third sets, but frustratingly for him, Cilic levelled up every time he went ahead.

But the fifth set fell the way of the Spaniard, and he was relieved at the prospect of winning his most challenging match of the Slam. Yet, as it turned out, the real test had just begun.

The quarterfinal encounter against fellow rising upstart Jannik Sinner also went the distance. He comfortably claimed the first set yet lost the following two sets via tie-break.

However, he claimed the final two sets to seal a comeback win for the ages. And his ability to take matches deep was stretched to the limit against home favourite Francis Tiafoe in the semis.

Alcaraz lost the first set – again via tie-break – before winning the following two sets. However, another tie-break loss took the match into a decider, which he easily won.

Thus, the stage was set for a showdown against Casper Ruud. In truth, this was probably Alcaraz’s most straightforward match since the third round.

He claimed the first set comfortably, but Ruud fought back hard, taking the second set 6-2. However, Ruud went a little too hard in the third set, looking for a break of serve that never arrived.

He had two set points at 6-5 up, but Alcaraz fought back with conviction – and that deflated Ruud. He lost the tie-break that followed, and the following set was a mere formality for Alcaraz.

In winning the Grand Slam, Alcaraz cemented himself as the man to watch out for among the ‘Next Generation.

He also gained the number one ATP ranking, breaking Lleyton Hewitt’s record in the process – and by almost a whole year, no less!

And no one can say he didn’t deserve his victory. Alcaraz had battled through the Grand Slam with a potent mix of ability and attitude.

His potential was clear for all to see, as was his ability to weather adversity. Thus, it is little surprise that Alcaraz claimed the Grand Slam title – and, if this year was any indication, this is likely to be the first of many such wins for him.