Tennis wunderkind Carlos Alcaraz on Monday moved up three places to a career-high of six in the world rankings after his triumph at the Madrid Masters.
The Spaniard demolished second seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour on Sunday to dislodge his idol Rafael Nadal as the youngest winner of the tournament.
The 19-year-old collected his second title at a Masters competition - considered just below the four Grand Slam events in terms of prestige - following an astounding week in the Spanish capital.
On Friday, he beat Nadal - a five-time champion in Madrid - in three sets.
On Saturday, he disposed of top seed and three-time winner Novak Djokovic in three sets to become the first player to dispatch Nadal and Djokovic from a clay court tournament.
Sin palabras para otro día inolvidable en el #MutuaMadridOpen
— Carlos Alcaraz (@alcarazcarlos03) May 8, 2022
Madrid una vez más GRACIAS por el apoyo, GRACIAS por la energía y GRACIAS por estar siempre ahí, os espero a todos en la final!!🔜❤️🚀 pic.twitter.com/XMyX3pqJGo
Barrage
Zverev, the defending champion, was swept away in a flurry of winners.
"It feels great to be able to beat these players," said Alcaraz in his on-court interview. "To beat Nadal and Djokovic - two of the best players in history - and then Zverev, the world number three. He is a great player.
"I would say this is the best week of my life."
In March, Alcaraz won the Miami Masters and followed it up with overall victory on the clay courts at the Barcelona Open.
In February he won the Rio Open.
Alcaraz, who hurt his ankle during the quarter-final against Nadal, said he would skip the Rome Masters to recuperate for the French Open which begins in Paris on 22 May.
