Alcaraz beats Ruud to win first Grand Slam title at 2022 US Open

On 11 September 2022, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz beat Norway's Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. It was his first Grand Slam title, won at the age of 19.

Both finalists were playing for the first major of their careers, and the winner was also guaranteed the top spot in the ATP rankings (the men's professional tour standings). Alcaraz took the opening set, lost the second, then edged a tight third-set tiebreak before closing out the match in the fourth.

The victory made him the youngest man to become world number one since the rankings began in 1973. It also confirmed him as the leading figure of a new generation, arriving at a time when the sport's long-dominant stars were approaching the end of their careers. His run in New York included several long, dramatic matches, and the title came barely a year after his first deep run at a major. It set the standard for the expectations that have followed him at every big tournament since.