Carlos Alcaraz youngest calendar year-finish No. 1 in ATP rankings

Teenager Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest year-conclusion No. 1 in the historical past of the ATP computerized rankings and joins fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as the to start with players from the exact country to declare the top two spots at the close of a time due to the fact Us residents Pete Sampras and Michael Chang in 1996.

The ultimate men’s tennis rankings for 2022 were posted Monday, and Alcaraz’s rise from No. 32 at the end of 2021 is the premier single-period soar to No. 1.

Iga Swiatek concluded the 12 months with a significant guide in the ultimate WTA rankings, which ended up launched previous thirty day period. The 21-year-previous from Poland moved up from No. 2 in April to direct the record for the 1st time just after Ash Barty abruptly retired. Swiatek in no way relinquished her keep, helped by earning major championships at the French Open up and U.S. Open up. Ons Jabeur — the runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open up — shut the year at a job-most effective No. 2.

Alcaraz, who turned 19 in May well, has remained atop the rankings considering that he won his very first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open up in September by beating Casper Ruud in the ultimate.

That created Alcaraz the initially male teenager at No. 1 given that the ATP computerized rankings began in 1973.

He is the initial man in 20 many years other than Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray — due to the fact Andy Roddick in 2003 — to end at No. 1.

Alcaraz ended his period early following tearing an stomach muscle mass though competing at the Paris Masters a month ago.

The 36-year-old Nadal, meanwhile, is the oldest guy to end a 12 months ranked first or second. He also extended his have history by inserting in the best 10 at the conclusion of a year for the 18th consecutive season. The lately retired Federer is the only other gentleman with that quite a few top-10 finishes over the system of a profession.

Nadal won the Australian Open and French Open up to elevate his men’s-file Grand Slam whole to 22 trophies, one in advance 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.

Tale proceeds

Djokovic couldn’t enjoy at the Australian Open up or U.S. Open up simply because he is not vaccinated from COVID-19 and did not earn any rankings strengthen for his title at Wimbledon due to the fact the WTA and ATP stripped that event of any factors over the All England Club’s ban on gamers from Russia and Belarus.

Fritz is the first American person to shut a yr in the best 10 because John Isner in 2018. The 9 U.S. adult men in the top rated 50 have been the most for any nation.

Following Swiatek and Jabeur, the relaxation of the women’s yr-conclusion top rated 10 are No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 4 Caroline Garcia, No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 6 Maria Sakkari, No. 7 Coco Gauff, No. 8 Daria Kasatkina, No. 9 Veronika Kudermetova and No. 10 Simona Halep, who was provisionally suspended in Oct immediately after failing a doping examination.

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