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Former American tennis player Jim Courier recently reflected on Carlos Alcaraz ending the year as the youngest World No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
Alcaraz reached the top of the ATP rankings after his win at the US Open and finished the 2022 season without getting displaced from the top, becoming the first player outside the Big 4 to achieve the feat.
In an episode of the Inside-In podcast, four-time Grand Slam champion Courier spoke about the feeling of becoming the World No. 1 at a young age and why Carlos Alcaraz's achievements were special. The American stated that every player in the top 5 has their specific targets and hence it doesn't matter if they are at No. 1 or No. 4 in the rankings.
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"I wouldn't say there is a huge difference between No. 1 and No. 4 as far as they are having a target, everyone in that class of a rankings is gonna have a target on the back of every match they play is a chance for someone to make a name for themselves if they haven't already," he said.
He also said that a World No. 1 has to be ready to face his opponents' best at all times.
"You have to be ready for someone to bring out their best everytime. But on the footsite you're also carrying the confidence of all the matches you have won, that got you there and you know if you hold the line of play and play sort of normal tennis then someone has to do a bit of something special to beat you, but this happens," he stated.
The former World No. 1 revealed that he never expected to reach the top of the rankings in his playing days. That said, he worked hard for it and deserved every part of it. He then heaped praise on the Spanish teenager and said that he would do justice to his No. 1 ranking.
"The one thing that I'd say that I think is different for Alcaraz than it was for me, I didn't ever expect to get to No. 1. I certainly worked for it, and I got there and I earned it and I loved being there for the period of time I was able to hang on to it. Alcaraz is one of those players who is groomed for [being World No. 1] and had the ability to pass the eye test of this guy is likely to get to the No. 1 at some point," he expressed.
The former American player further stated that Carlos Alcaraz's achievements this year would not have surprised his team as they have been working together towards this goal for the last few years.
"And he had a team from the age of 15 that he has been working with, that has been building him up for these moments. I'm sure they have come sooner than they all expected but getting there, I don't think it was an unexpected outcome for them and I what probably served them very well is you know move through a new landscape of the court," he said.
"This trophy means everything!" - Carlos Alcaraz on receiving year-end World No. 1 trophy
Carlos Alcaraz was presented with the year-end World No. 1 trophy in Turin on Wednesday. The Spaniard later posted a video on social media and thanked his fans for their support and belief.
"This trophy means everything! Thank you everyone for your support and belief!" Carlos Alcaraz tweeted.
