Why Carlos Alcaraz is every bit deserving of World No. 1 spot

Ever since his arrival on the ATP circuit, Carlos Alcaraz has been subjected to comparisons with a few of the most established tennis players in history, one such being his countryman and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

When the tennis community started wondering whether any new players could create records in the sport, the young teenager from Spain stepped up to the occasion to claim one of the most rewarding records in the sport – the youngest ATP World No. 1 in history.

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Carlos Alcaraz’s atypical climb to World No. 1

The tennis world, however, remains unconvinced by the youngster’s achievements that have placed him at the top of the rankings. Fans have argued that the 6740 points that earned him the spot aren’t necessarily monumental.

Their debate brings in the fact that in 2021 Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, with 7425 and 7350 points respectively, sat outside the top 5 of the ATP rankings. Grigor Dimitrov similarly stated that he had more than 7000 points to his credit a few years ago and was ranked only 7th in the world.

Many factors outside Alcaraz's control contributed to the uncharacteristic shift in the rankings during the atypical 2022 season - from former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic being banned from important tournaments to Wimbledon being stripped off of its ranking points.

Despite the entire fiasco, should one undermine Carlos Alcaraz’s run to World No. 1?

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Carlos Alcaraz’s achievements to support his ranking

2022 US Open champion - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz has undoubtedly had a meteoric rise. The youngster grabbed eyeballs when he played against his compatriot Nadal at the 2021 Madrid Open on his 18th birthday. The young Spaniard lost the fixture, but that did not stop him from reaching for the stars.

Alcaraz went on to lift his first title at the Umag Open and registered his best Grand Slam finish at the time, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2021 US Open. In November of that year, Alcaraz became the Next Gen ATP Finals champion in Milan. However, his real breakthrough came in 2022.

Alcaraz lifted his second tour-level title at the Rio Open. Furthermore, aged just 18, the teenager from Murcia was unconquerable as he demolished each opponent he faced to become the youngest player in history to win the Miami Masters. He soon entered the top 10 and subsequently won his fourth career title – an ATP 500 at the Barcelona Open.

Yet, his most convincing title win came a couple of weeks later when he turned the tables at the 2022 Madrid Open to score back-to-back victories against legends Nadal and Djokovic in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. He continued his formidable form to outclass the defending champion Alexander Zverev in the final to lift his second Masters title.

His rise was such that he was counted as the second favorite to win the French Open, even surpassing the then 13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal. Although Alcaraz was unable to materialize the odds, losing in the quarterfinals to Zverev, and suffering a slight slump in form thereafter, he kept his determination high at the 2022 US Open to not only claim his maiden Grand Slam title, but also the top spot in the world rankings with 6740 points to his credit. He is also the male player with the most titles and finals in 2022, with five titles under his belt from seven finals.

It is worth noting that Carlos Alcaraz’s two Masters 1000 titles and one Grand Slam place him on an elite list of players who have earned such a feat or more (since Masters’ introduction), all of whom have been former World No. 1 players. Thus, although the young Spaniard’s ranking points are the lowest since former World No. 1 Roger Federer’s 6330 points in 2008, his achievements certainly substantiate his status as the World No. 1.