Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas to Repeat as Barcelona Open Champion

Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his title…

Playing dominantly, the 19-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to become the first player since Rafael Nadal to repeat as Barcelona Open champion.

Carlos AlcarazIn the process, Alcaraz has secured his third title of the year and ninth of his impressive young career.

“Me and my team were talking before the match about staying relaxed,” Alcaraz said. “To want to play the tough moments. Staying relaxed is the most important part for me. To forget the mistakes, everything, and be myself on court. Not to think about all the people watching, but just me, the court, the racket and the final.”

It was the fifth consecutive straight-set win for the second-ranked Alcaraz at his home tournament this year. He is now 10-1 in Barcelona and has won his last 14 tour matches on Spanish soil.

“It’s incredible to feel this energy, to lift the trophy here in Barcelona in front of all my people,” said Alcaraz, who used to watch the tournament in the stands as a kid. “My family and my friends are here as well. To lift the trophy here in front of all of them is a great feeling.”

Alcaraz had not successfully defended a title in his career before Sunday. Nadal was the last player to win consecutive titles in Barcelona with three straight from 2016-18. Alcaraz will also try to defend his title at the upcoming Madrid Open.

He is now 23-2 for the year. His other titles this season came at Buenos Aires and Indian Wells.

Alcaraz was playing in his fourth final in five tournaments this year, winning it with 26 winners and seven unforced errors.

He and Tsitsipas exchanged breaks early in the first set but Alcaraz eventually took control to comfortably secure his fourth consecutive win over the fifth-ranked Greek. He had also beaten Tsitsipas in the Barcelona quarterfinals last year.

“I had the opportunity to see you a few years ago for the first time, I saw you play a little bit,” Tsitsipas said of Alcaraz. “Some of us guys who were on the tour a little bit earlier than you, I think most of us were fascinated by your tennis … we see you as an example even though we are slightly older than you. We see your achievements as something that will hopefully push us to to do better.”

Tsitsipas, the Australian Open finalist earlier this year, was trying to win his first title in Barcelona after twice losing the final to Nadal in 2018 and 2021. He was looking for his first title of the year, and 10th of his career.

Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Daniel Evans to Reach Barcelona Open Final

Carlos Alcaraz is back in the Barcelona Open final…

The 19-year-old Spanish tennis player, the defending champion, has eased into the final after defeating Daniel Evans 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday.

Carlos AlcarazThe second-ranked Alcaraz will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final after the Greek player advanced by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 on the outdoor clay court.

Alcaraz defeated his English opponent in 1 hour, 20 minutes, sealing the victory when he blasted a return under Evans’ racket as he made an approach.

“How you reach a final is important for your confidence, and I head into tomorrow with a great feeling,” said Alcaraz, who has not dropped a set in four matches. “Even so, we can’t just rely on how I have played and know that it will be a tough game.”

Last year’s US Open champion, Alcaraz will be seeking his ninth career title and third of the year after triumphing in Buenos Aires and Indian Wells. If he beats Tsitsipas, his title in Barcelona will be his first that he has successfully defended.

Alcaraz is 3-0 against Tsitsipas, including a three-set victory in the Barcelona quarterfinals last year. Alcaraz described last year’s match as “spicy.”

“I’m going to try to forget everything that has happened in the matches before, try to focus on my game tomorrow and try to get the win,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz will also attempt a title defense at the Madrid Open next week in the absence of former champions Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz beat countryman Pablo Carreño Busta in last year’s Barcelona final during his impressive run that took him to the world No. 1 ranking.

Tsitsipas reached the final at Barcelona in 2018 and 2021, losing both times to 12-time winner Nadal.

The fifth-ranked Tsitsipas is seeking his first title of 2023.

Tsitsipas and Musetti struggled with their service games. Tsitsipas converted six of his 11 break points, while Musetti made good on five of 10.

“It was very physical out there,” said Tsitsipas, who improved his record against Musetti to 4-0. “We had to cover lots of meters on the court, and he had some incredible defensive shots that I really didn’t expect at all. It was such a mental challenge.”

Carlos Alcaraz to Keep World No. 1 Ranking Following Miami Open Win

Carlos Alcaraz is keeping his No. 1 ranking…

The 19-year-old Spanish professional tennis player logged a straight-set win at the Miami Open on Friday to keep his world No. 1 ranking over idle Novak Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz

Djokovic is not participating in the Miami Open because he still cannot travel to the United States as a foreign citizen who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Alcaraz, who beat Casper Ruud in the 2022 US Open final for his first No. 1 ranking, defeated Facundo Bagnis 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the third round in Miami.

Rafael Nadal dropped out of the top 10 on Monday for the first time in 18 years.

Alcaraz rose into that spot a day after ending Daniil Medvedev‘s 19-match winning streak by beating him in straight sets in the final at Indian Wells, California.

Alex de Minaur Earns First Win Over Rafael Nadal in United Cup Play

Alex de Minaur has finally claimed a win against a tennis legend…

For the first time in his career, the 23-year-old Uruguayan & Spanish Australian professional tennis player defeated Rafael Nadal at the United Cup mixed team tournament Monday, as concerns about the world No. 2’s early-season form grew ahead of his Australian Open title defense.

Alex de Minaur, It was de Minaur’s first win against Nadal in four attempts.

Nadal showed glimpses of brilliance during his opening loss to Cameron Norrie following his return to action after an injury-plagued 2022 season, and he looked set to respond against de Minaur, only to fall again as de Minaur won 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, has now won only one of his past seven matches on the ATP tour — a dead rubber round-robin stage victory over Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals. His other losses have come against Felix Auger-AliassimeTaylor FritzTommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe.

Nadal will next be in action at the season’s first Grand Slam at Melbourne Park starting January 16, giving him time to iron out flaws.

Spain and Australia not being in contention for the next stage of the inaugural $15 million prize money event had dulled the edge of their meeting slightly, and de Minaur’s quest for his first win over Nadal looked set to continue as he fell behind.

However, he rallied from a set and a break down to secure the biggest victory of his career as Nadal surrendered his serve in the 11th game and de Minaur closed out the victory to spark emotional scenes and delight the raucous Sydney fans.

Rafael Nadal to Battle Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas Exhibition Match in March

Rafael Nadal is headed to Sin City…

The 36-year-old Spanish tennis superstar will face off against compatriot and current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match in Las Vegas on March 5.

Rafael NadalNadal owns a men’s-record 22 Grand Slam titles, including two in 2022 at the Australian Open in January and French Open in June, while Alcaraz, 19, claimed his first major trophy at the US Open in September.

The two Spaniards finished 1-2 in this year’s ATP rankings: Alcaraz is the youngest man to finish at No. 1, while Nadal is the oldest to finish at No. 2. They’re also the first two countrymen to lead the men’s rankings since Americans Pete Sampras and Michael Chang in 1996.2d

The match being touted, boxing-style, as “The Slam: Nadal vs. Alcaraz” will be held inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

Nadal and Alcaraz have played each other three times in official tournaments, all at Masters 1000 events. Nadal leads 2-1, with Alcaraz’s victory coming in their most recent meeting, in May on red clay at Madrid.

Carlos Alcaraz Becomes Youngest Year-End No. 1 in ATP History

Carlos Alcaraz has another a place in tennis history once again…

The 19-year-old Spanish professional tennis player is the youngest year-end No. 1 in the history of the ATP computerized rankings.

Carlos AlcarazHe also joins fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as the first players from the same country to claim the top two spots at the close of a season since Americans Pete Sampras and Michael Chang in 1996.

The final men’s tennis rankings for 2022 were published Monday, and Alcaraz’s rise from No. 32 at the end of 2021 is the largest single-season jump to No. 1.

Alcaraz, who turned 19 in May, has remained atop the rankings since he won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in September by beating Casper Ruud in the final.

That made Alcaraz the first male teen at No. 1 since the ATP computerized rankings began in 1973.

He’s the first man in 20 years other than Nadal, Roger FedererNovak Djokovic or Andy Murray — since Andy Roddick in 2003 — to finish at No. 1.

Alcaraz ended his season early after tearing an abdominal muscle while competing at the Paris Masters a month ago.

The 36-year-old Nadal, meanwhile, is the oldest man to finish a year ranked first or second. He also extended his own record by placing in the top 10 at the end of a year for the 18th consecutive season. The recently retired Federer is the only other man with that many top-10 finishes over the course of a career.

Nadal won the Australian Open and French Open to raise his men’s-record Grand Slam total to 22 trophies, one ahead of Djokovic and two ahead of Federer.

Ruud finishes at No. 3, followed by No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 5 Djokovic, No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 7 Daniil Medvedev, No. 8 Andrey Rublev, No. 9 Taylor Fritz and No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz.

Djokovic couldn’t play at the Australian Open or US Open because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and didn’t earn any rankings boost for his title at Wimbledon because the WTA and ATP stripped that tournament of any points over the All England Club‘s ban on players from Russia and Belarus.

Bad Bunny Leads Pack of People’s Choice Awards Nominees with Seven Nods

Bad Bunny is this year’s People’s Choice darling…

NBC and E! have announced this year’s People’s Choice Awards nominations, with the 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer earning seven nods.

Bad BunnyBad Bunny will compete for Concert Tour of 2022, Latin Artist of 2022, Male Artist of 2022 and Social Celebrity of 2022.

He’s also up for Song of 2022 for his hit single “Me Porto Bonito”with Chencho Corleone, Album of 2022 for Un Verano Sin Ti, and Collaboration Song of 2022 for Party” with Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro, a two-time nominee.

Selena Gomez is the top Latina nominee this year…

The 30-year-old Mexican American actress/singer received four nods, including Social Celebrity of 2022, Comedy TV Star of 2022 and Female TV Star of 2022 for her work on Only Murders in the Building, and Music Video of 2022 for “Let Somebody Go,” her song with Coldplay.

In addition to Rauw, two-time nominees include Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello and Karol G.

One-time nominees include Rafael Nadal, Brent Rivera, Anitta, Shakira, Sebastian Yatra, Rosalia, Becky G and Oscar Isaac.

Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson will return to host this year’s People’s Choice Awards, marking his second consecutive ceremony.

Voting is now open and fans worldwide can vote for their favorite nominee in each of the 40 categories representing movies, television, music and pop culture.

The 2022 People’s Choice Awards will air simultaneously on NBC and E! on Tuesday, December 6 at 9:00 pm ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA.

Live from E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards will kick off the night with a red carpet special at 7:00 pm ET/PT on E!.

Here’s a look at the nominees:

Movie of 2022
Bullet Train
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Elvis
Jurassic World Dominion
Nope
The Batman
Thor: Love and Thunder
Top Gun: Maverick

Comedy Movie of 2022
Fire Island
Hustle
Hocus Pocus 2
Marry Me
Senior Year
The Adam Project
The Lost City
Ticket To Paradise

Action Movie of 2022
Black Adam
Bullet Train
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Jurassic World Dominion
The Batman
The Woman King
Thor: Love and Thunder
Top Gun: Maverick

Drama Movie of 2022
Nope
Death on the Nile
Don’t Worry Darling
Elvis
Halloween Ends
Luckiest Girl Alive
Scream
Where the Crawdads Sing

Male Movie Star of 2022
Brad Pitt – Bullet Train
Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and Thunder
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World Dominion
Daniel Kaluuya – Nope
Dwayne Johnson – Black Adam
Miles Teller – Top Gun: Maverick
Ryan Reynolds – The Adam Project
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick

Female Movie Star of 2022
Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Gal Gadot – Death on the Nile
Jennifer Garner – The Adam Project
Jennifer Lopez – Marry Me
Joey King – Bullet Train
Keke Palmer – Nope
Queen Latifah – Hustle
Viola Davis – The Woman King

Drama Movie Star of 2022
Austin Butler – Elvis
Daniel Kaluuya – Nope
Florence Pugh – Don’t Worry Darling
Gal Gadot – Death on the Nile
Harry Styles – Don’t Worry Darling
Jamie Lee Curtis – Halloween Ends
Keke Palmer – Nope
Mila Kunis – Luckiest Girl Alive

Comedy Movie Star of 2022
Adam Sandler – Hustle
Channing Tatum – The Lost City
Jennifer Garner – The Adam Project
Jennifer Lopez – Marry Me
Julia Roberts – Ticket To Paradise
Queen Latifah – Hustle
Ryan Reynolds – The Adam Project
Sandra Bullock – The Lost City

Action Movie Star of 2022
Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and Thunder
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World Dominion
Dwayne Johnson – Black Adam
Elizabeth Olsen – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Joey King – Bullet Train
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
Viola Davis – The Woman King
Zöe Kravitz – The Batman

Show of 2022
Abbott Elementary
Better Call Saul
Grey’s Anatomy
House of the Dragon
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Saturday Night Live
Stranger Things
This Is Us

Drama Show of 2022
Better Call Saul
Cobra Kai
Euphoria
Grey’s Anatomy
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Ozark
The Walking Dead
This Is Us

Comedy Show of 2022
Abbott Elementary
Black-ish
Only Murders in the Building
Never Have I Ever
Saturday Night Live
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Young Rock
Young Sheldon

Reality Show of 2022
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta
The Kardashians
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Selling Sunset

Competition Show of 2022
America’s Got Talent
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Bachelorette
The Masked Singer
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls
The Voice

Male TV Star of 2022
Dwayne Johnson – Young Rock
Ewan McGregor – Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ice-T – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Jason Bateman – Ozark
Noah Schnapp – Stranger Things
Norman Reedus – The Walking Dead
Oscar Isaac – Moon Knight
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us

Female TV Star of 2022
Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things
Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s Anatomy
Kristen Bell – The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I Ever
Mandy Moore – This Is Us
Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building

Drama TV Star of 2022
Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s Anatomy
Jason Bateman – Ozark
Mandy Moore – This Is Us
Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Norman Reedus – The Walking Dead
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us
Sydney Sweeney – Euphoria
Zendaya – Euphoria

Comedy TV Star of 2022
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live
Dwayne Johnson – Young Rock
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live
Kristen Bell – The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan – Never Have I Ever
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish

Daytime Talk Show of 2022
Good Morning America
Live with Kelly and Ryan
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Jennifer Hudson Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The View
Today with Hoda and Jenna

Nighttime Talk Show of 2022
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Night with Seth Meyers
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Competition Contestant of 2022
Charli D’Amelio – Dancing with the Stars
Bosco – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Gabby Windey – The Bachelorette
Mayyas – America’s Got Talent
Noah Thompson – American Idol
Selma Blair – Dancing with the Stars
Teyana Taylor – The Masked Singer
Willow Pill – RuPaul’s Drag Race

Reality TV Star of 2022
Chrishell Stause – Selling Sunset
Garcelle Beauvais – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Kandi Burruss – The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Kenya Moore – The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Khloé Kardashian – The Kardashians
Kim Kardashian – The Kardashians
Kyle Richards – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino – Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

Bingeworthy Show of 2022
Bridgerton
Bel-Air
Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Inventing Anna
Severance
The Bear
The Boys
The Thing About Pam

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2022
House of The Dragon
La Brea
Moon Knight
Obi-Wan Kenobi
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Stranger Things
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Umbrella Academy

Male Artist of 2022
Bad Bunny
Charlie Puth
Drake
Harry Styles
Jack Harlow
Kendrick Lamar
Luke Combs
The Weeknd

Female Artist of 2022
Beyoncé
Camila Cabello
Doja Cat
Lady Gaga
Lizzo
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Taylor Swift

Group of 2022
BTS
5 Seconds of Summer
BLACKPINK
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
OneRepublic
Panic! At The Disco

Song of 2022
“About Damn Time” – Lizzo
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Break My Soul” – Beyoncé
“First Class” – Jack Harlow
“Hold My Hand” – Lady Gaga
“Me Porto Bonito” – Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone
“Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj
“Wait For U” – Future Featuring Drake & Tems

Album of 2022
Dawn FM – The Weeknd
Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
Harry’s House – Harry Styles
Midnights – Taylor Swift
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers – Kendrick Lamar
Renaissance – Beyoncé
Special – Lizzo
Un Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny

Country Artist of 2022
Carrie Underwood
Kane Brown
Kelsea Ballerini
Luke Combs
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Morgan Wallen
Thomas Rhett

Latin Artist of 2022
Anitta
Bad Bunny
Becky G
Shakira
Karol G
Rauw Alejandro
Rosalía
Sebastián Yatra

New Artist of 2022
Chlöe
Dove Cameron
GAYLE
Latto
Lauren Spencer-Smith
Muni Long
Saucy Santana
Steve Lacy

Music Video of 2022
“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook of BTS)” – Charlie Puth
“Let Somebody Go” – Coldplay X Selena Gomez
“Oh My God” – Adele
“Pink Venom” – BLACKPINK
“PROVENZA” – KAROL G
“Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment) Official” – BTS

Collaboration Song of 2022
“Left And Right” – Charlie Puth Featuring Jung Kook
“Bam Bam” – Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran
“Do We Have A Problem?” – Nicki Minaj X Lil Baby
“Freaky Deaky” – Tyga X Doja Cat
“Hold Me Closer” – Elton John & Britney Spears
“Jimmy Cooks” – Drake Featuring 21 Savage
“Party” – Bad Bunny & Rauw Alejandro
“Sweetest Pie” – Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa

Concert Tour of 2022
BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE
Bad Bunny: World’s Hottest Tour
Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever, The World Tour
Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia Tour
Ed Sheeran Tour
Harry Styles Love On Tour
LADY GAGA: The Chromatica Ball
Luke Combs: The Middle of Somewhere Tour

Social Celebrity of 2022
Bad Bunny
Charlie Puth
Doja Cat
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Reese Witherspoon
Selena Gomez
Snoop Dogg

Social Star of 2022
Addison Rae
Brent Rivera
Charli D’Amelio
Jay Shetty
Khaby Lame
Mikayla Jane Nogueira
Mr Beast
Noah Beck

Comedy Act of 2022
Amy Schumer: Whore Tour
Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour 2022
David Spade: Nothing Personal (Netflix)
Jo Koy: Live from the LA Forum
Kevin Hart: Reality Check
Steve Martin & Martin Short You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today
Wanda Sykes – Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration (Netflix)
Whitney Cummings – Jokes (Netflix)

Game Changer of 2022
Chloe Kim
LeBron James
Megan Rapinoe
Nathan Chen
Rafael Nadal
Russell Wilson
Serena Williams
Steph Curry

Pop Podcast of 2022
Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
Archetypes
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Call Her Daddy
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Not Skinny But Not Fat
SmartLess
Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer

Carlos Alcaraz & Rafael Nadal Make ATP Rankings History

Carlos Alcaraz and his childhood idol have combined for a ranktastic moment…

The 19-year-old Spanish tennis player, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, and No. 2 Rafael Nadal are the first countrymen to top the ATP rankings in 22 years.

Carlos AlcarazAnd Alcaraz and Nadal are the first men from somewhere other than the United States to sit at 1-2 since the tour introduced computerized rankings in 1973.

Alcaraz rose to the top spot by winning the US Open last month for his first Grand Slam title, becoming the youngest man ever to be No. 1.

Nadal is a 36-year-old Spaniard who has spent 209 weeks atop the rankings and owns a men’s-record 22 major championships, including at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June. He rose from No. 3 to No. 2 on Monday, swapping places with US Open runner-up Casper Ruud.

The last time players from the same country held Nos. 1 and 2 in the ATP rankings was in August 2000, when Americans Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras did it.

“Proud to share this historic moment with @RafaelNadal, the best player of all-time,” Alcaraz wrote in Spanish on Twitter.

Rafael Nadal to Play Doubles with Roger Federer at Laver Cup

Rafael Nadal is partnering with his oldest rival…

The 36-year-old Spanish tennis superstar will join forces with Roger Federer as he plays the final professional match of his career at the Laver Cup in London on Friday.

Rafael NadalAt Thursday’s draw, it was confirmed that Federer will join Nadal for Team Europe against the American pair of Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock for Team World on Friday night.

Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, will then be replaced by Italy’s Matteo Berrettini for the rest of the event.

“It’s super special playing with Rafa,” Federer said in a news conference. “… To be able to do that one more time, I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful.”

Said Nadal: “Tomorrow is going to be a special thing. Difficult. Going to be difficult to handle everything, especially for Roger, without a doubt. But for me too. At the end, one of the most important players — if not the most important player — in my tennis career is leaving.”

Federer, 41, who announced last week that he’s retiring because of an ongoing right knee issue, had said Wednesday that playing alongside 22-time Slam champion Nadal would be a unique, fitting way to go out.

“For as long as we battled together, having had always this respect for one another, our families, coaching teams, for us as well to go through a career we both have had, come out the other side and have a nice relationship, is maybe a great message to tennis and beyond,” Federer said.

The three-day team event will begin Friday afternoon at The O2 Arena with two singles matches. Norwegian Casper Ruud, the runner-up at the US Open earlier this month, will play Sock in the opener before Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece takes on Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.

The evening session will begin with former world No. 1 Andy Murray up against Alex de Minaur before Federer takes the court for the final time.

“I’m not sure if I can handle it all, but I’ll try,” Federer said Thursday about his sure-to-be-emotional on-court farewell.

Tiafoe, who beat Nadal en route to his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open this month, deadpanned about the matchup, “Yeah, I’m just excited to play two up-and-comers tomorrow,” before adding, “It’s going to be iconic to be a part of that. Both guys are absolute legends.”

Federer and Nadal played each other in singles 40 times (Nadal won 26), including 14 Grand Slam matchups (Nadal won 10, going 6-3 in finals). Nadal came out on top in their classic 2008 Wimbledon final, considered by some the greatest match in history, while Federer won their last showdown, in the 2019 semifinals at the All England Club.

They also played one other doubles match together, defeating Jack Sock and Sam Querrey at the inaugural Laver Cup in 2017.

“To be part of this historic moment,” Nadal said about Friday, “is going to be something amazing, unforgettable.”

Carlos Alcaraz Wins US Open Title to Become Youngest Man to Lead ATP Rankings

Carlos Alcaraz has doubled up on his significant achievements…

The 19-year-old Spanish tennis player defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 to claim his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, in his first appearance in a Grand Slam final no less.

Carlos AlcarazIn the process, Alcaraz is now the No. 1 player in men’s tennis.

Alcaraz used his combination of moxie and maturity to Ruud for the trophy at Flushing Meadows and become the youngest man to lead the ATP rankings.

“Well, this is something that I dreamed of since I was a kid,” said Alcaraz, whom folks of a certain age might still consider a kid. “It’s something I worked really, really hard [for]. It’s tough to talk right now. A lot of emotions.”

Appearing in his eighth major tournament and second at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz has attracted plenty of attention as someone considered the next big thing in men’s tennis.

He’s the youngest man to win a major title since Rafael Nadal was the same age at the 2005 French Open, and the youngest at the US Open since 19-year-old Pete Sampras in 1990.

“He’s one of these few rare talents that comes up every now and then in sports. That’s what it seems like,” said Ruud, a 23-year-old from Norway. “Let’s see how his career develops, but it’s going all in the right direction.”

Alcaraz was serenaded by choruses of “Ole, Ole, Ole! Carlos!” that reverberated off the closed roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium — and he often motioned to the supportive spectators to get louder.

He only briefly showed signs of fatigue from having to get through three consecutive five-setters to reach the title match, something no one had done in New York in 30 years. He spent a total of 23 hours, 40 minutes on court in the tournament, the most by any men’s player during any one major tournament since the start of 2000.

Alcaraz went five sets against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round, ending at 2:23 a.m. Tuesday; against Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, a 5-hour, 15-minute thriller that ended at 2:50 a.m. Friday after Alcaraz needed to save a match point; and against Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals.

“You have to give everything on court. You have to give everything you have inside. I worked really, really hard to earn it,” Alcaraz said after the final. “It’s not time to be tired.”

This was not a stroll to the finish, though.

Alcaraz dropped the second set and faced a pair of set points while down 6-5 in the third. But he erased each of those point-from-the-set opportunities for Ruud with the sorts of quick-reflex, soft-hand volleys he repeatedly displayed. And with help from a series of shanked shots by a tight-looking Ruud in the ensuing tiebreaker, Alcaraz surged to the end of that set.

“He just played too good on those points. We’ve seen it many times before: He steps up when he needs to,” Ruud said. ‘When it’s close, he pulls out great shots.”

One break in the fourth was all it took for Alcaraz to seal the victory in the only Grand Slam final between two players seeking both a first major championship and the top spot in the ATP’s computerized rankings, which date to 1973.

The winner was guaranteed to be first in Monday’s rankings; the loser was guaranteed to be second.

“Both Carlos and I, we knew what we were playing for. We knew what was at stake,” Ruud said. “I think it’s fitting. I’m disappointed, of course, that I’m not No. 1, but No. 2 is not too bad, either.”

He is now 0-2 in Slam finals after being runner-up to Nadal at the French Open in June.

Ruud stood way back near the wall to return serve, but also during the course of points, much more so than Alcaraz, who attacked when he could. Alcaraz went after Ruud’s weaker side, the backhand, and found success that way, especially while serving.

If nothing else, Ruud gets the sportsmanship award for conceding a point he knew he didn’t deserve. It came while he was trailing 4-3 in the first set; he raced forward to a short ball that bounced twice before Ruud’s racket touched it.

Play continued, and Alcaraz hesitated and then flubbed his response. But Ruud told the chair umpire what had happened, giving the point to Alcaraz, who gave his foe a thumbs-up and applauded right along with the spectators to acknowledge the move.

Alcaraz certainly seems to be a rare talent, possessing an enviable all-court game, a blend of groundstroke power with a willingness to push forward and close points with his volleying ability. He won 34 of 45 points when he went to the net Sunday. He is a threat while serving — he delivered 14 aces at up to 128 mph on Sunday — and returning, earning 11 break points, converting three.

Alcaraz, Ruud said, showed “incredible fighting spirit and will to win.”

Make no mistake: Ruud is no slouch, either. There’s a reason he is the youngest man since Nadal to get to two major finals in one season and managed to win a 55-shot point, the longest of the tournament, in the semifinals Friday.

But this was Alcaraz’s time to shine under the lights.

For context on the rankings, it is helpful to know that Novak Djokovic did not play at the US Open or Australian Open this year, unable to enter those countries because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, and did not receive any ranking boost for his Wimbledon championship because no points were on offer for anyone after the All England Club banned athletes from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine.

Regardless of the circumstances, it is significant that Alcaraz is the first male teenager at No. 1. No one else did it. Not Nadal, not Djokovic, not Federer, not Sampras. No one.

When one last service winner glanced off Ruud’s frame, Alcaraz dropped to his back on the court, then rolled over onto his stomach, covering his face with his hands. Then he went into the stands for hugs with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former No. 1 himself who won the French Open in 2003 and reached the final of that year’s US Open, and others, crying all the while.

You get to No. 1 for the first time only once. You win a first Grand Slam title only once. Many folks expect Alcaraz to be celebrating these sorts of feats for years to come.