ATP Challenger Trieste: 17-year-old Alcaraz wins first title
While many of the current top stars of the tennis scene are preparing for the US Open in the New York bubble these days, on the other side of the pond some of the greatest young European talents in men's tennis are in Italy.
by Florian Heer
last edit:
Aug 30, 2020, 03:34 pm
From Florian Heer from Trieste
One of them made a big splash this week. Carlos Alcaraz won his first title on the ATP Challenger Tour at the Città di Trieste. The only 17-year-old Spaniard finished the successful run of the Italian qualifier Riccardo Bonadio on Sunday morning with a 6-4, 6-3 final victory.
Alcaraz, the first player born in 2003 to achieve a title match at Challenger level, dominated the game from the start and coped better with the changed conditions - triggered by a morning rain shower. Only at the beginning of the second set, when the teenager had to give up his service game for the first and only time, was a smooth victory in danger for a short time. After 69 minutes it was done. After transformed match point, Alcaraz let his bat dance through the air for joy.
“Although I was a little nervous at the beginning, I'm very satisfied with my level today,” Alcaraz said afterwards. “Riccardo is a very good player who had a great week. I was very active and focused on the pitch today. "
New career high for Alcaraz
In the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, Alcaraz received the biggest winner's check of his young careers to date. The prize money is 12,250 euros and 100 ATP world ranking points bring the next-gen star from Murcia to 220th place in the world rankings.
“It was a fantastic week that I started in qualifying like Riccardo. It was a great experience at this level, but physically very strenuous after winning seven matches ", says Alcaraz and will continue his Italian clay court swing in the coming week after Todi and Triest in Cordenons, about 170 kilometers away. “I'm looking forward to a new week and I'm trying to keep learning,” says the protégé of the 2003 Roland Garros champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero, modestly.
The French Open are now also in focus for Alcaraz. A participation in the qualification of the Grand Slam tournament in Paris could still work out. “That would of course be wonderful to be there. But now I'm really happy about the success here. I am very happy about this week. "
15th place of the youngest ATP Challenger Champions
Alcaraz, who avoids comparisons with compatriot Rafael Nadal, joins the list of the youngest Challenger champions, headed by a certain Michael Chang. In 1987, the American was able to record his first triumph at the tournament in Las Vegas at the age of 15 years and seven months. The Iberian manages this feat at the age of 17 years and three months. Only the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (in Lyon and Seville 2017) and Alexander Zverev (in Braunschweig 2014) were younger in the last 10 years when they achieved their first success at this level.