At 21 years and five months, Carlos Alcaraz stands on a 206-53 ratio in the ATP matches. The young gun secured his 200th ATP win in the second round of the ATP 500 event in Beijing, securing a new milestone on his already rich list of achievements.
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Alcaraz passes 'teenage king' Nadal
Carlos needed 252 matches to notch his 200th ATP win, competing at a high pace since the beginning of his career and earning a record that will take some beating. John McEnroe needed 245 encounters to deliver his 200th ATP win, standing above the young Spaniard by seven matches. However, Alcaraz reached the milestone number ahead of his great compatriot, Rafael Nadal, who celebrated his 200th ATP triumph in his 255th match. Rafa embraced an incredible run in his early years, lifting 11 ATP titles in 2005 and having 18 trophies by his name at the time of his 200th win. Carlos stands on 16, although he already claimed four Major crowns, outpacing the legend and almost everyone else.
Alcaraz's early sensations
The 16-year-old Alcaraz kicked off the 2020 season with two Futures titles from three finals, earning a wild card at the ATP 500 event in Rio. Carlos prevailed over Albert-Ramos-Vinolas in a thriller, celebrating his first ATP win. Kicking off the 2021 season from inside the top-150, the 17-year-old qualified for the Australian Open main draw and delivered his first Major victory, introducing himself on the most notable scene. The young gun cracked the top-100 in May and reached the Roland Garros third round as a qualifier. Carlos celebrated his first ATP title in July in Umag, ousting Richard Gasquet and lifting an ATP trophy at 18. Not stopping there, a teenager played in the Winston-Salem semi-final and the US Open quarter-final, presenting his rich talent and wrapping up a successful year with the Next Gen ATP Finals crown. Alcaraz added 32 ATP victories to his tally, standing on the verge of top-30 and continuing his charge in 2022.
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Carlos conquers the ATP throne at 19!
The Spaniard wrote history in 2022, turning 57 ATP wins into five titles and becoming the youngest world no. 1 in ATP history! Carlos conquered the ATP 500 event in Rio and played even better in March, reaching the Indian Wells semi-final and securing his first Masters 1000 crown in Miami at 18! An incredible youngster earned more trophies at home in Barcelona and Madrid, cracking the top-10 and becoming the year-end no. 1 contender. Alcaraz reached the Roland Garros quarter-final and lost two ATP clay-court finals in Hamburg in Umag two months later. The Spaniard battled past four rivals at the US Open, prevailing in the pivotal moments against, Cilic, Sinner, Tiafoe and Ruud en route to his first Major crown, becoming the first teenager to achieve that after Nadal. At 19 years and four months, Carlos became the youngest world no. 1 and wrote history books. A teenager did not play many tournaments by the end of the year. Still, he kept his rivals behind and took the year-end no. 1 honor at such a young age.
More success and the Wimbledon crown
Alcaraz played even better in 2023, notching 65 ATP wins and lifting six ATP trophies. He finished the year behind Novak Djokovic, although it was not that important after conquering his second Major title at Wimbledon! The Spaniard skipped the Australian Open before winning Indian Wells, Barcelona and Madrid, defending the home titles and battling with Djokovic for the ATP throne. The Serb defeated the Spaniard in the Roland Garros semi-final, and the 20-year-old responded during the grass swing. Carlos claimed his first grass-court ATP title at Queen's and repeated that at Wimbledon, prevailing over Novak in a thrilling final to notch his second Major crown at 20. Two great rivals battled in an epic Cincinnati final, with Djokovic prevailing after fending off a match point. Alcaraz lost the US Open title after falling in the semi-final. He fell to Jannik Sinner in Beijing and Novak in the ATP Finals semi-final, finishing the season ranked 2nd.
More glory in 2024 ahead of win no. 200
The Spaniard earned 50 ATP wins for the third straight season this year, celebrating the 200th in Beijing and entering the history books. Chasing notable titles, Carlos conquered Indian Wells, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, becoming the youngest winner of a 'Channel Slam' and standing with four Majors on his tally. Alcaraz missed another big title at the Olympic Games, falling to Djokovic in two tie breaks and earning a silver medal for Spain. Following an early US Open loss, Carlos went all the way in Beijing, earning that 200th ATP win against Tallon Griekspoor in the second round. If he maintains this pace and avoids injuries, the Spaniard should celebrate his 300th ATP victory in 2026.
