Spain’s 19-year-old tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in convincing style last Sunday (9/11) defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3. With his win, Alcaraz made history: the title propelled the teen to the top spot in the ATP rankings. 23-year-old Ruud’s runner-up status earned him a career-high ranking at No. 4. In 2005, Alcaraz’s fellow-Spaniard Rafael Nadal was 19 when he took the title at the French Open. Back in 1990, a 19-year-old Pete Sampras won the U.S. Open. I’ve been around long enough to remember American pros Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert when they were teen sensations in the seventies. Suddenly, everyone was buying a racquet and heading for the courts, and I was right there with them. This youngster will likely inspire myriad kids of all nationalities to take up tennis.
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