Carlos Alcaraz’s Grand Slam Coronation: Looking…

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After 139 days away from the tour, Carlos Alcaraz returned from injury at the place where he became a Grand Slam champion four years ago.

The 2022 US Open was only the start of Alcaraz’s seven major titles and counting, achieving the Career Grand Slam in the process, but as the saying goes, “you never forget your first.”

A 19-year-old Alcaraz was already billed as a favourite heading into Flushing Meadows in 2022. The world No. 4 had won his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami earlier in the year and reached the quarter-finals in his US Open debut the season prior. The teen was also one of five players battling for the world No. 1 spot in New York.

Alcaraz’s pursuit began comfortably, beating Sebastian Baez before match point as the Argentine retired in the third set. Then, the Spaniard defeated Federico Coria and Jenson Brooksby in straight sets to reach the second week.

The rest of the way, Alcaraz’s road to the winner’s circle was anything but comfortable.

First, a fourth-round matchup against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic. Both players traded sets until the decider, when the Spanish teen took the fifth set and became the youngest man in the Open Era to reach back-to-back US Open quarter-finals.

Then, a future final took place in the quarters. Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who was the world No. 13 at the time, met for just the fourth time on tour and produced an instant classic – on par with their Roland-Garros final clash three years later. The El Palmar-native clinched the opener, but Sinner responded by winning the next two sets in a tiebreaker to grab the advantage.

Alcaraz broke late in the fourth to force a decisive set, with the match already going well past midnight in New York. The 19-year-old managed to take the five-set thriller after five hours and 15 minutes as the contest ended at 2:50 a.m. on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the latest-ever finish at the US Open.

In the semifinals, Alcaraz still couldn’t escape the five-setters. The third seed played Frances Tiafoe and beat the American in his third-straight five-set match, with this one lasting just over four hours.

Alcaraz was only a single victory away from making history at the US Open, but standing in his way was Casper Ruud, who was also competing for a maiden Grand Slam title and world No. 1 spot.

After winning the opening set, the Spaniard faced a bump in the second as the final was brought back to level terms. However, he soon regained control. Alcaraz conceded just one point in the third-set tiebreaker then broke early in the fourth on his way to the finish line, marking the beginning of a new era in the ATP.

Alcaraz became the youngest Grand Slam champion since Rafael Nadal’s first Roland-Garros title in 2005, and was the youngest player in the Open Era to join the ATP No. 1 club.

Three years later, Alcaraz repeated the feat. The Spanish No. 1 hoisted his second US Open trophy in 2025 and reclaimed top spot in the ATP rankings by beating Sinner in the final. This season, there was some worry that the 23-year-old wasn’t going to be able to defend that title following a wrist injury that kept him out since April, which forced him to miss out on his Roland-Garris title defence and had him drop to No. 3 in the ATP rankings.

However, Alcaraz is back for his US Open crown in 2026, and looking as healthy and ready as ever in his quest to become the first back-to-back men’s singles titlist at Flushing Meadows since Roger Federer’s dominance from 2004-2008.

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Feature Photo: ATP Tour