Carlos Alcaraz: The Youngest US Open Semifinalist In 3 Decades

Tennis stars are the kind of athletes who seem to turn up, dominate the court, and go down in history as some of the best legends of all time. Now, it seems it's Carlos Alcaraz's time to put his name on the map. As well as battling to take the top spot on the ATP rankings, he is the youngest US Open semifinalist in three decades.

Getting to the semifinals is a huge feat for any tennis player, but it seems to be something Carlos Alcaraz has pulled off with ease. It took a lengthy battle to secure his place in the semifinals, but now he's there, Carlos is making history. The question is: will he take home the title?

Carlos Alcaraz battled on the court for over five hours

Being just 19 years old meant that when Carlos Alcaraz won his game, he became the youngest US Open semifinalist in three decades. The last time this came was in 1990 when Pete Sampras made it to this stage in the competition, but how did Carlos get there? It wasn't an easy ride, as his competitor, Jannik Sinner, fought for five hours and 15 minutes before Carlos finally walked away victorious. It started on Wednesday night and didn't end until 2:50 am ET, when Carlos fell to the floor and covered his face with his hands in disbelief. 

The tennis star pulled off an incredible move

Even though he had to battle for hours, Carlos Alcaraz never tired throughout the game. He said as much in his post-game interview, where the athlete confessed that "I felt well, physically" and "It felt great." One of the most amazing things from it all, apart from Carlos' breaking history after over 30 years, was how he hit the ball in the second set. He ran across the court to return the ball but didn't have time to adjust his hands. In the end, Carlos hit the ball behind his back, returned the next shot, and won the point.

Carlos Alcaraz still has a way to go before he wins the US Open

Of course, just because he is the youngest US Open semifinalist in decades doesn't mean that Carlos Alcaraz has won the entire tournament. He still needs to make it through Frances Tiafoe, who has also been making history throughout 2022's US Open. For one, he's the first African-American man to make it this far in the competition since 1972. Then comes the fact that Tiafoe is the first competitor from the US to get to the semifinals since 2006. With all of this in mind, it looks as though Tiafoe vs. Alcaraz might be one of the hardest-to-call games of the US Open so far.

Winning the US Open could see Carlos Alcaraz become number one

For years, Rafael Nadal has been considered the most recognized Spanish tennis player. However, he could soon lose that title if Carlos Alcaraz continues to play the way he has so far. For one, Carlos beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open in May 2022, becoming the youngest winner of the tournament and the first player to beat both tennis legends in back-to-back matches. Right now, Carlis sits in fourth place in the ATP rankings. Although this is the highest of his career to date, winning the US Open will most likely see him kick Daniil Medvedev off the top spot - who is already out of the competition after losing to Nick Kyrgios - and see Carlos become number one.

Being the youngest US Open semifinalist in three decades has seen all eyes turn to Carlos Alcaraz in recent days. If he wins the tournament, there's a good chance he'll take over the world. Even if he doesn't, Carlos is still just 19 years old, so he has plenty of years to take the court by storm.