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Carlos Alcaraz is the man of the moment. The 19-year-old continued his imperious start to the season by winning his fourth title of the year at the Madrid Masters on Sunday.
Alcaraz had a week to remember at the Caja Magica. Entering the tournament as a top-10 player following his Barcelona triumph two weeks ago, the teenager downed two of the greatest players in the game's history - Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - in successive matches.
That made him only the seventh player, and the first on clay, to beat the two all-time greats in consecutive matches in the same tournament. Alcaraz then steamrolled defending champion Alexander Zverev in the final.
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In a lopsided 62-minute match, the 19-year-old dropped only four games as he strolled to the finish line to secure a tour-leading 28th match win and fourth title.
With his victory over Zverev, Alcaraz achieved a few important milestones. Here's a look at five of them:
#1 Carlos Alcaraz becomes first teenager in more than 30 years to beat 3 top-5 players in the same tournament
Carlos Alcaraz had a giant-killing week in the Spanish capital. A day after turning 19, he beat World No. 4 Rafael Nadal, a five-time Madrid champion, in the quarterfinals. It was his first victory over his illustrious compatriot in three attempts.
Alcaraz proceeded to dump out World No. 1 and three-time winner Novak Djokovic in a pulsating third-set tie-break to move into his fourth final of the year. A day later, he returned to beat World No. 3 Zverev, becoming the first player to hand the German a straight-sets defeat in the Spanish capital.
In the process, Alcaraz became the youngest player, and first teenager, in 32 years (since the start of the ATP tour) to beat three top-five players in the same tournament. Before Alcaraz, Djokovic (2007 Montreal), Pete Sampras (1991 ATP Finals), Andre Agassi (1990 ATP Finals) and Lleyton Hewitt (2001 ATP Finals) were the youngest players to accomplish the feat.
Unsurprisingly, all five players went on to win the title.
#2 Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest player to win Madrid Masters
It was a week to remember on many counts for Carlos Alcaraz. In a year of many firsts, Alcaraz added another with his victory at the Caja Magica.
With his victory over Zverev, the 19-year-old became the youngest player to win the Madrid Masters in the tournament's 20-year history. The previous youngest champion in Madrid was Nadal, who was 19 years and five months old in 2005 when he recovered from two sets down to beat Ivan Ljubicic in a fifth-set tie-break.
Back then, the tournament was held on indoor hardcourt in October.
The previous youngest player to win the Madrid Masters on clay was Alexander Zverev (21 years, one month) in 2018.
#3 Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest 5-time titlist on ATP tour in nearly 2 decades
Carlos Alcaraz's early success has inevitably evoked comparisons with Rafael Nadal, who had a banner (79-10) year as a teenager in 2005.
Alcaraz has won four titles this year, five overall, including his first ATP 500 title in Rio de Janeiro and his first Masters 1000 title in Miami. A little over a month after his Miami triumph, Alcaraz has become the youngest five-time titlist on the ATP tour in nearly two decades.
Back in 2005, Nadal won six titles (all on clay) before his 19th birthday. That included two Masters 1000 titles.
Alcaraz will now look to make his Grand Slam breakthrough this year, just like Nadal did while he was still in his teens.
#4 Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest player in 17 years to win multiple Masters 1000 titles
Carlos Alcaraz's Madrid success also meant he emulated his illustrious compatriot Nadal by becoming the youngest player in 17 years to win multiple Masters 1000 titles. Nadal was 18 when he won his first two Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005.
Earlier this year, Alcaraz made his Masters 1000 breakthrough in Miami. He could have done it a fortnight earlier at Indian Wells but fell to his compatriot in a bruising three-hour three-set semifinal.
Unfortunately, Alcaraz won't be the first teenager since Nadal to win Rome, as he has withdrawn from the tournament.
#5 Carlos Alcaraz is the sixth player in the Open Era to go 5-0 in his first 5 career finals
Carlos Alcaraz, who will ascend to a career-best ranking of World No. 6 on Monday, has won his first five career finals.
He became only the sixth player in the Open Era to do so, joining Ernests Gulbis, Martin Klizan, Thomas Enqvist, Andrei Medvedev and Sjeng Schalken. Unlike the quintet, Alcaraz hasn't dropped a set in his first five finals.
If he wins his next final, Alcaraz will join Gulbis and Klizan as the only players to go 6-0 in their first six title matches. The earliest that could happen for Alcaraz is at Roland Garros.
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