History will be made on Sunday at the US Open. In an unprecedented men’s championship match, the winner will not only earn their first Major title, but also become the World No.1 for the first time. So much is on the line for both 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and 23-year-old Casper Ruud.
Alcaraz comes from humble beginnings, growing up in a small village called El Palmar in Murcia, Spain. His father was a semi-professional tennis player, and Carlitos picked up the game from a very young age. In 2018, he joined the tennis academy of former world No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who quickly recognized the talent and potential of Alcaraz, and has been his primary coach ever since. His idol is fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
Ruud is the son of former top 40 player Christian Ruud, who also serves as his coach. Casper grew up in Oslo, Norway, and continues to set new records for Norwegian players: the first to win an ATP title, to reach a Major final, and to be ranked in the top 10. And like Alcaraz, his idol is Rafael Nadal.
Casper Ruud (5) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (3) – 4:00pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium
Alcaraz is looking to become the youngest World No.1 in history, and the first teenager to ever achieve that feat. He is the youngest men’s finalist at a Major since Nadal at Roland Garros in 2005. Just last year, Carlitos was ranked outside the top 100. But since last summer, he has skyrocketed up the rankings. He leads the tour with 50 match wins in 2022, and is 5-2 lifetime in ATP finals.
Ruud, currently ranked No.7, is looking to make the biggest rankings jump to No.1 of all-time. This is his second Major final out of the last three, after being a surprise finalist three months ago in Paris. In that championship match, he was routed by Nadal 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. Overall, Casper is 9-4 in finals.
Alcaraz is 2-0 against Ruud, having claimed both those matches in straight sets. They occurred a year ago on clay in Marbella, and six months ago in the final of the Miami Masters on a hard court.
It’s hard to fathom Carlitos will be close to 100% physically on Sunday. He is coming off three consecutive five-set wins that went late into the night or the morning, and even had to save a match point in his especially epic five-setter against Jannik Sinner. As per Ravi Ubha, Alcaraz is the first player since Andre Agassi in 2005 to win three straight five-setters in the round directly before a Major final. However, the youngster is remarkably fit, and continues to recover surprisingly well from his grueling five-set battles.
The second half of Ruud’s road to this championship match was considerably less complicated, spending over four hours less on court than Alcaraz since the fourth round. Casper will be the much fresher competitor, yet even though he possesses previous experience in a Major final, he has much less experience in defeating top players. He is 0-5 at Slams against top 5 opposition.
Unlike Ruud, Alcaraz has a favorable record against the top 10, having claimed seven of his last nine matches. His incredible mix of speed and power make his game nearly impenetrable when he’s at his best. And considering his comfortable victories over Casper in the recent past, Carlitos is the favorite to win his first Major title and become the new World No.1.
Also on Sunday, the women’s doubles championship match will be played at 1:00pm local time. It’s Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova (3) vs. Caty McNally and Taylor Townsend. Krejcikova and Siniakova are vying for their sixth Major as a team, and their third of the season. This title would complete their career Grand Slam. McNally was a finalist at last year’s US Open alongside Coco Gauff. Townsend is a two-time Slam semifinalist, including earlier this season at Roland Garros. This is only Katy and Taylor’s second event as a team.
Sunday’s full Order of Play is here.
