‘More grand slams’: Carlos Alcaraz already has sights set on 2023 glory after US Open triumph
Carlos Alcaraz put on a show in the US Open Final: he smashed a staggering 24 sixes in the decisive four-ball against Nicolas Tiafoe.
Alcaraz’s performance, which saw him hit the most sixes in any US Open Final since 2012, will be an added bonus for him as he heads into his final tournament before making his next major.
Alcaraz became the first-ever player to smash 24 sixes in an ATP match.
“I am very excited,” Alcaraz said. “I’m so happy. I think this was the best match. I think it was the most important match. I have to congratulate Nicolas. I have to thank him. I have to thank coach [Tomasz] Roskowski for this one.”
The match also saw Tiafoe return a five-set winning streak he etched in the Open after defeating Marin Cilic in the second round. Cilic went the distance, but was more a victim of the conditions that saw play on all three red clay courts, with the third-seeded German unable to hit his backhand.
Tiafoe faced a different ball in the final, with Alcaraz’s ace on the first serve and first ace followed by a second-serve ace set up the final.
“I didn’t play as well today as I would like to have,” Tiafoe said. “But Carlos was excellent.
“He played very well at the end. He played great, and he played well, he really did.”
For Tiafoe, this was a major opportunity to win back his Open title. Tiafoe’s only other major title came in 2012, when he reached the final, but lost to Rafael Nadal. Tiafoe won his only previous title at the US Open in 2014.
“I have to win this match to make it a little bit bigger than that