Carlos Alcaraz defeats Casper Ruud to win the US Open final
In what can be viewed as a fitting end to the US Open final, Carlos Alcaraz defeated the up-and-coming veteran Casper Ruud 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday.
“I’m really honored to finally get to the championship match of the US Open,” said Ruud. “I’m really thankful to my family, friends, fans and all the other players that helped me get there. I would like to thank my mom and dad for always believing in me. I really appreciate all the love, support and friendship that I have gained since the beginning of my career.”
Both players are set to take some of the highest honor of the 2016 US Open finals, and that is their chance to end their own careers in the same way.
Ruud was ranked No. 5 in the world, while Alcaraz climbed to No. 6, the highest of the US Open champions since 1998.
“I’ve been working towards my goal for a long time and since the beginning of my career,” said Ruud. “I always wanted to end my run as a top 10 player. It is very emotional when you get to play for a championship. The match was very solid and I won the only time out of the match. It was very tough for me, and I really appreciate my fans and my parents for supporting me throughout my career.”
Ruud, who had six aces in the first set, lost the early momentum in the second set after being down 5-3. But he was able to get an early break back for a 6-3 lead, only to lose the next two points. Ruud saved the set at that point, but the score stayed tight until the end of the third. But at the end of the third set, Ruud took over to take the opportunity for one more match to go to the title match.
“I took the first game of the third set with two aces, so I was pretty confident,” said Ruud. “In the second game, I played solid. I used a lot of forehand and also used my backhand a lot. During the third set, I played a really solid match and got some breaks.”