'Can't believe it': Tennis world goes bonkers over Carlos Alcaraz act

Carlos Alcaraz continues to re-write tennis' record books after thrashing Alexander Zverev to win the Madrid Open final.

After beating Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic in successive matches to make Sunday's final, the 19-year-old prodigy blasted Zverev off the court on Sunday in a 6-3 6-1 thrashing.

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Zverev, the defending champion who also won in Madrid in 2018, had no answer to the depth and power of Alcaraz's groundstrokes and was broken decisively in the sixth game of the first set and four times in the second.

On court after the match, Zverev told Alcaraz: "I want to congratulate Carlitos. Right now you are the best player in the world.

"It is great for tennis that we have such a new superstar that is going to win so many grand slams, that is going to be world number one and I think is going to win this tournament many more times."

With his victory, Alcaraz became the second-youngest player ever to win two Masters 1000 titles.

"Last year, I was going through these experiences for the first time, playing against the best players, playing in the Masters 1000, and I learned a lot," Alcaraz said.

"Now it's different. I go onto the court with the confidence that I can win at any moment."

Alcaraz is now the youngest Madrid Open champion ever and the second youngest to win two Masters 1000 trophies after Nadal won in Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005.

The Spanish prodigy is also the first player since 1990 to beat three top-5 players on the way to a title.

Alcaraz had already become the youngest player to enter the top-10 since Nadal in 2005.

"It feels great to be able to beat these players," the 19-year-old said.

"To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the World No. 3. He is a great player. I would say this is the best week of my life."

It was the seventh-straight win over a top-10 player for Alcaraz, and his tour-leading fourth title of the year.

He also has the most wins this season with 28, one more than Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Alcaraz won his first Masters 1000 tournament in Miami earlier this year while also winning titles in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona.

His three losses this season came against Sebastian Korda in Monte Carlo, Nadal in Indian Wells and Matteo Berrettini at the Australian Open, while Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur held match points against him in Barcelona.

Tennis world goes bonkers over Carlos Alcaraz triumph

Alcaraz said it was special to win in Madrid, where he first started watching tennis at an early age.

"Watching Rafa lift this trophy gave me a lot of power to work hard for this moment," Alcaraz said.

"It is a great moment for me. It is the first tournament I watched, so lifting the trophy today is so emotional."

The Spaniard is now eyeing grand slam glory at the French Open.

"I really want to go to Paris to win a grand slam, to show my level in a grand slam," he said.

"People are going to take me as a favourite, but I take that as motivation."

He said he will miss the Italian Open this week after injuring an ankle in beating Nadal in the quarter-finals.

"This morning, because of the fall against Rafa, I woke up with a more swollen ankle and I also had a blister that had become infected," he said.

"It was a little difficult to walk, but... we were able to do a few things to be at 100 percent for the match."

Tennis fans and commentators were left in disbelief over the teenager's stunning display.

with agencies

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