Record-breaking Wimbledon title; 100th career win: Carlos Alcaraz in 2023
World number two Carlos Alcaraz continued with his exploits on the ATP Tour in 2023. Although Alcaraz lost the top spot to Serbian ace Novak Djokovic, he went on to win six titles. The former also won the second-most matches on the tour. His incredible run included a record-breaking Wimbledon title and 100th career win. Here are the key stats.
Six titles in 2023
As mentioned, Alcaraz won the second-most matches on the ATP Tour in 2023. He finished the year with a 65-12 win-loss record. The Spaniard is only behind Daniil Medvedev, who scripted a 66-18 win-loss record and bagged five titles. In terms of titles, Alcaraz is only behind Djokovic, who claimed as many as seven titles in 2023.
Alcaraz overcame Djokovic to win Wimbledon title
Alcaraz entered the record books after winning the 2023 Wimbledon in July. It was his second Grand Slam title. The 20-year-old defied all odds and overcame Djokovic in a nerve-wracking final after four hours and 42 minutes at the All-England Club. With a 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory, Alcaraz became the first man outside of the 'Big Four' to win Wimbledon since 2002.
Third-youngest Wimbledon champion
At 20 years and 72 days, Alcaraz became the third-youngest player to win the Wimbledon title, after Boris Becker (in 1985) and Bjorn Borg (1976). Alcaraz is also the second Spaniard, after his compatriot Rafael Nadal, to clinch the prestigious trophy in the Open Era. The former is the youngest to win both Wimbledon and US Open titles.
Another feat for Alcaraz
According to Opta, Alcaraz is the third-youngest player in the last 40 years to win six-plus titles in a single season. He is only behind legends Andre Agassi and Nadal, who achieved this feat in 1988 and 2005, respectively.
Other titles won by Alcaraz in 2023
Alcaraz won his first title of 2023 at the Argentina Open, defeating second seed Cameron Norrie in the final. The Spaniard won the Indian Wells Open after beating Medvedev in the final. It was his third Masters 1000 title. A look at his other ATP titles from 2023 - Queen's Club Championships, Madrid Masters, and Barcelona Open.
Alcaraz scripts these records
At the Indian Wells, Alcaraz claimed his 100th career match-win. He became the second-fastest player to reach this landmark after John McEnroe. The Spaniard became the first player to win the Indian Wells without dropping a set since Roger Federer in 2017. Meanwhile, the one at the Queen's Club Championships was his maiden title on grass courts.
A champion has arrived!
At 20, Alcaraz already has two Grand Slam titles under his belt. At the 2022 US Open, he became the youngest Grand Slam champion since Nadal, who won the French Open in 2005. The former has 12 career ATP titles, including six in 2023. All these mind-boggling numbers and titles also catapulted him to the top of the ATP Rankings (men's singles) this year.
