Carlos Alcaraz honors Rafael Nadal: 'I'm proud to share this moment..'

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

October 3, 2022, will stay written in the history of Spanish tennis with gold letters. Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal are the world's leading players, repeating what Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi previously achieved for the USA in 2000.

Alcaraz shared a message with his fans, feeling porud of this achievement and for sharing it with Rafael Nadal. Carlos and Rafa have been the players to beat this year, winning three Major titles and leaving the opponents behind.

A teenager needed only a couple of years to transform from the upcoming star to world no. 1. Alcaraz kicked off the current season from outside the top-30 and cracked the top-10 four months later after winning a Masters 1000 crown and two ATP 500 events.

Not stopping there, Carlos toppled Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev en route to his second Masters 1000 title in front of the home crowd in Madrid. Alcaraz lost two ATP finals in Hamburg and Umag on clay in July and traveled to New York as one of the title favorites.

Carlos had a chance to become the youngest world no. 1 in ATP history with a deep run at the season's last Major. Nadal and Medvedev left the door open for Alcaraz and Casper Ruud, and they took a chance with both hands. Alcaraz and Ruud met in the US Open final, battling for the first Major title and the ATP throne.

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal will lead the ATP ranking on Monday.

Carlos scored a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 win in three hours and 20 minutes for a place in history. If he plays well in the rest of the season, Alcaraz is in a good position to become the youngest year-end no.

1. Nadal is back inside the top-2 for the first time since May 2021. Rafa is not defending any points by the end of the season. He should follow Carlos in the year-end top-2 if he returns to the court in the upcoming weeks and recovers from an abdominal injury.

Nadal kicked off the season with three consecutive titles, including the first Australian Open title in 13 years. Rafa fractured his rib in Indian Wells and lost the final to Taylor Fritz. The Spaniard skipped Monte Carlo and Barcelona and did not play well in Madrid and Rome, struggling with a foot injury and gathering dark clouds over his Roland Garros preparation.

As many times before, Nadal was a player to beat in Paris, receiving injections ahead of every match and securing his 22nd Major title! Nadal withdrew ahead of the Wimbledon semi-final due to an abdominal injury that jeopardized his hard-court summer swing.

Rafa skipped Montreal and suffered an early loss in Cincinnati to Borna Coric. With no form or matches, the Spaniard suffered the fourth-round defeat to Frances Tiafoe and lost a chance to become world no. 1 at 36. Nadal played alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup, and we should see when he will compete again.

"Two Spaniards at the top of the ranking! I'm proud to share this historical moment with Rafael Nadal, the best player of all time! Come on!" Carlos Alcaraz said.