But Ruud told the chair umpire what had happened, giving the point to Alcaraz, who gave his foe a thumbs-up and applauded right along with the spectators to acknowledge the move.Īlcaraz certainly seems to be a rare talent, possessing an enviable all-court game, a blend of groundstroke power with a willingness to push forward and close points with his volleying ability. Play continued, and Alcaraz hesitated then flubbed his response. It came while he was trailing 4-3 in the first set he raced forward to a short ball that bounced twice before Ruud’s racket touched it. If nothing else, Ruud gets the sportsmanship award for conceding a point he knew he didn’t deserve. Ruud stood way back near the wall to return serve, but also during the course of points, much more so than Alcaraz, who attacked when he could.Īlcaraz went after Ruud’s weaker side, the backhand, and found success that way, especially while serving. He was the runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June. Ruud is a 23-year-old from Norway who is now 0-2 in Slam finals. One break in the fourth was all it took for Alcaraz to seal the victory in the only Grand Slam final between two players seeking both a first major championship and the top spot in the ATP’s computerized rankings, which date to 1973.

But he erased each of those point-from-the-set opportunities for Ruud with the sorts of quick-reflex, soft-hand volleys he repeatedly displayed.Īnd with help from a series of shanked shots by a tight-looking Ruud in the ensuing tiebreaker, Alcaraz surged to the end of that set. He only briefly showed signs of fatigue from having to get through three consecutive five-setters to reach the title match, something no one had done in New York in 30 years.Īlcaraz dropped the second set and faced a pair of set points while down 6-5 in the third. Read more Stadium - and Alcaraz often motioned to the supportive spectators to get louder.

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