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Carlos Alcaraz produced the perfect ending to a perfect fortnight, beating Casper Ruud in the US Open final on Sunday to win his first Grand Slam singles title.
Widely regarded as one of the best young players in the game currently, the 19-year-old's banner year keeps getting better. Despite being taken the distance in his three previous rounds, the teenager made the brighter start on the night - breaking decisively early on before taking the opener.
Ruud provided an emphatic response - dropping only two games - as he drew parity on the night. Alcaraz squandered an early break in the third - which almost came back to haunt him - as he had to save two set points while serving to stay in the set in the 12th game. The teenager, though, played a near-perfect tie-break to take an all-important two-sets-to-one lead.
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Alcaraz then rode a lone break in the fourth to create history - becoming the youngest Major winner since Rafael Nadal (2005 Roland Garros) and the youngest to win the US Open since Pete Sampras (1990). The triumph also made him the new World No. 1 - the youngest player to do so.
On that note, here's a look at the five youngest players in ATP rankings history to become World No. 1:
#5 Andy Roddick (21 years, 66 days) - 2003
Andy Roddick remains the only American man to win a Grand Slam singles title this century.
Roddick won his lone Major title at the 2003 US Open - beating Alcaraz's current coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final - to climb to second in the rankings. A few weeks later, the then 21-year-old American ascended to the summit of the singles rankings.
In the process, A-Rod joined a list of illustrious compatriots - like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors - to become the world's top-ranked player.
Roddick's reign as World No. 1 (13 weeks) proved short-lived, though, thanks to the emergence of a certain Roger Federer.
#4 John McEnroe (21 years, 15 days) - 1980
John McEnroe is one of the youngest players to become World No. 1. The left-hander did so just two weeks after turning 21 in 1980.
The seven-time Major winner played an unforgettable five-set final against Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon that year - finishing second-best. However, he beat the Swede in another five-set affair in the US Open final to successfully defend his title.
Earlier in the year, he surpassed his great rival to become the new World No. 1 - a position he would occupy a record 14 times in his career.
McEnroe spent 170 weeks atop the singles rankings - a mark bettered by only six players - led by Novak Djokovic (373).
#3 Marat Safin (20 years, 298 days) - 2000
Marat Safin became the youngest player to become World No. 1 when he beat Mark Philippoussis in the Paris Masters final in 2000.
Earlier in the year, the then 20-year-old beat Pete Sampras in the US Open final to win his first of two Major singles titles - becoming the first Russian player to win the tournament.
Safin - who also won the 2005 Australian Open - occupied the top spot for nine weeks in his career. He narrowly failed to end 2000 as World No. 1, as Gustavo Kuerten beat Andre Agassi in the final of the season-ending ATP Finals to pip the Russian.
#2 Lleyton Hewitt (20 years, 266 days) - 2001
Lleyon Hewitt capped off a banner year in 2001 to become the then youngest player to become World No. 1.
Weeks after beating Pete Sampras in the 2001 US Open final, the then 20-year-old Australian beat Sebastien Grosjean in the season-ending ATP Finals in Sydney to become the world's top-ranked player.
Hewitt would occupy the spot for 80 weeks in his career - a mark surpassed by only nine other players.
#1 Carlos Alcaraz (19 years, 129 days) - 2022
In a winner-takes-all title match at the US Open, Alcaraz beat Ruud to become the newest Grand Slam winner and the new World No. 1.
With the triumph, the Spaniard became the first teenager to become the world's top-ranked player - beating Hewitt's previous record by almost 1.5 years. Two weeks ago, Alcaraz was one of five players who could leave New York as the World No. 1.
With defending champion Daniil Medvedev, four-time winner Rafael Nadal and 2021 Roland Garros finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas failing to reach the last eight, Alcaraz and Ruud were in a direct shootout for the top ranking after reaching the final.
Eventually, it was Alcaraz who reigned supreme to deny Ruud the opportunity to become the first Norwegian player to become World No. 1.
With not many points to defend till the end of the season, Alcaraz has a good opportunity of ending the year as the world's top-ranked player.
