On Friday evening, Martin Landaluce was preparing for the biggest match of his life, the US Open Boys’ Singles final. But another match on television kept the Spaniard from going to sleep: Carlos Alcaraz’s enthralling five-set quarter-final against Frances Tiafoe.

“I tried to sleep, but he was [on] the TV, so I couldn’t sleep in that moment. I just slept in the fifth,” Landaluce said of Alcaraz with a smile on his face. “But I was watching it. It was a great match. Yeah, both were playing good. I took some things from Alcaraz and from Tiafoe also.”

Like his countryman Alcaraz did Friday, Landaluce earned a big win on Saturday. The 16-year-old, seeded fifth, defeated second seed Gilles Arnaud Bailly of Belgium 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-2 for the Boys’ Singles title.

“It was a great match. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I tried to enjoy the final. It’s a special moment, special tournament,” Landaluce said. “I tried one game plan at the beginning that went more or less good. But then in the third set I tried to change it, to be more solid, more consistent. I think that’s what gave me the match, the win.”

There was a tough moment for the teen late in the second set. Bailly, 17, won a lengthy point in which he goaded Landaluce into an error to force a deciding set. Instead of suffering a letdown, Landaluce immediately bounced back to break at the start of the third set and never looked back.

“It was the final of the US Open. How could I be down or something?” Landaluce said. “I was just trying to enjoy the moment, try to understand the situation, to change some little things to win the match.”

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Landaluce practised with Alcaraz during his run to the Mutua Madrid Open title earlier this year.

 

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There are high stakes matches, and then there is Sunday’s US Open championship match (4pm EDT/10pm CEST) between Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud.

Both players stand one victory from their maiden Grand Slam crown, a feat that would simultaneously propel them to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday. The match is already a history-maker. It is the first Grand Slam men’s final featuring two players competing for both their first major title and the World No. 1 ranking, a winner-takes-all showdown set to bring the Grand Slam action for 2022 to a thrilling close.

“We’re playing for the tournament and also World No. 1,” said Ruud after his semi-final win against Karen Khachanov on Friday. “Of course, there will be nerves and we will both feel it.”

How To Watch The Final

Depending on the result, another milestone will fall on Sunday night in New York. Ruud is aiming to become the first Norwegian man to win a Grand Slam title, while Alcaraz seeks to become the youngest No. 1 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at the age of 19 years and four months. Read More On The Battle For No. 1.

Youngest World No. 1s in Pepperstone ATP Rankings History

After not dropping a set in the first three matches of his US Open campaign, Alcaraz has taken a somewhat different path to victory from the fourth round onwards at Flushing Meadows.

The #NextGenATP Spaniard needed five sets to defeat Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe in a trio of back-to-back thrillers, a clear demonstration of the physical strides made by the 19-year-old in recent months. A year ago in New York, he was forced to retire from his quarter-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime having come through tough five-setters in his two previous matches. As he prepares to take on Ruud on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, Alcaraz is not worried about his recent workload taking its toll.

“I would say now I’m more prepared [than last year],” said Alcaraz, who has spent 20 hours, 19 minutes on court in the tournament so far. “Last year I just played three Grand Slams before the US Open, and I had just played, I’m going to say, one match of five sets. Now I’ve played more matches of five sets, I am more prepared mentally and physically.”

mood. pic.twitter.com/EhUDRKr6bA

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2022

Should his meeting with Ruud also go the distance, Alcaraz can look back on an impressive 8-1 career record in fifth sets, something he attributes to his ability to raise his level when the pressure is ramped up.

“I lost one in Australia this year against Berrettini, but it could have been a victory for me too,” said Alcaraz. “The key moment is when I give my best. That’s why I’ve won eight of the nine fifth sets I’ve played in my career. Today it has been shown that I am physically prepared to be able to play good tennis despite all the hours on the court. I’m not afraid of the final after qualifying like this. I will go for it.”

The Spaniard will also look to his previous two meetings with Ruud for confidence. Alcaraz defeated the Norwegian on clay in Marbella in 2021, before securing another straight-sets victory in the final in Miami in March to lift his first ATP Masters 1000 crown.

“I feel capable of beating him again,” said Alcaraz. “He has already played a Grand Slam final, and for me everything will be new. But everything new in my career I have faced in a good way. I hope to do the same on Sunday. I’m going to try to show my best version”.

Ruud’s run to his maiden major final at Roland Garros in July may have been abruptly ended by 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal on the Parisian clay, but the Norwegian is viewing Sunday’s clash against Alcaraz with completely fresh eyes and believes the experience will even help when he steps onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

“I mean, Roland Garros, the final, [Nadal] obviously gave me a good beating,” said Ruud. “After the final I said, If I ever reach one again, I hope it is not Rafa on the other side of the court in Roland Garros, because it’s sort of an impossible task I think for any player. I’m happy that it’s not Rafa on clay.

“I hope it can have prepared me a little bit. At least I know a little bit what I’m facing when I’m stepping on the court, seeing the trophy on the back of the court, seeing tons of celebrities. Even in Roland Garros, there were royal families there watching. That was a little bit new experience for me. I hope I can be more ready for that on Sunday.”

Ruud has certainly been ready for whatever circumstances he has faced so far this fortnight in New York. The fifth seed kept cool to down home favourite Tommy Paul in five sets in the third round, while his quarter-final triumph against 13th seed Matteo Berrettini was in stark contrast to that battle. Ruud produced one of his most dominant displays of the year to ease past the big-hitting Italian in straight sets.

Casper Ruud completes the road to the #USOpen final.

See you Sunday, @CasperRuud98. pic.twitter.com/GWd8LbHMuk

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022

The Norwegian believes he will have to play just as aggressively on Sunday if he wants to notch his first win against Alcaraz at the third attempt.

“I think if I want to beat Carlos, I’ll need to play very precise with all the shots that I hit,” said Ruud. “Especially try to keep him a little bit further back in the court, to play with good depth and length on all my shots.

“If he steps in, he can do anything with the ball. He can rip a winner. He also has great touch with the dropshot. I think he has one of the best dropshots on tour. He can do both shots back and forth, it will sort of get you off guard sometimes with the dropshot.

“If you play with good depth and good length, it’s tougher to hit dropshots. That will be something that I will try to focus on.”

The US Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud is scheduled to begin not before 4pm local time (EDT)/10pm CEST on Sunday, 11 September. See TV Schedule.

It’s a unique opportunity. There is much more at stake on Sunday at the US Open than a title. Both Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz are playing for their first major and to become the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

One of them will be the 28th player to top the rankings in the Open Era. Both the Norwegian and the Spaniard have earned the opportunity on court this season, as two of the three players with the most wins in 2022. Alcaraz is the ATP Tour’s match wins leader (50), while Ruud is in third (44).

Ruud, who entered the tournament at No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is bidding to make a leap to its pinnacle bigger than any man has done before him. Pedro Clar, a Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar coach, has had a front-row seat for the evolution of the 23-year-old, Oslo-born player.

“The whole team is happy to reach another Grand Slam final,” revealed the Spanish coach. “At the start of the year, it was not something that was in our plans. After playing in Paris, now he’s in another Grand Slam final, and to do it on [a] fast court is even more noteworthy.”

Despite not being able to participate in the Australian Open due to an ankle injury, Ruud’s performance at the Grand Slams has been outstanding, with a 13-2 record. Now, he is looking to put the icing on the cake at Flushing Meadows.

“Sunday will be a thrilling match, they are both playing very well and the reward for victory, as we know, will be twofold,” said Clar. “Maybe the fact that Casper played in the Paris final this year will, in some way, help him handle the situation better and control his emotions. But without a doubt I think he will have to have his best level to be able to win.”

Ruud’s Spanish mentor made another point: “Whoever is more mentally stable might be the one who performs best in the final.”

So far, the Norwegian has taken down six opponents en route to the final. He started his path against Kyle Edmund before beating Tim van Rijthoven, then managed to come through a dramatic five-set clash against Tommy Paul in the third round.

In the second week he saw off Corentin Moutet in the last sixteen and sent Matteo Berrettini packing in the quarter-finals. On Friday, Ruud defeatedd Karen Khachanov to seal his passage into his second Grand Slam final.

“He has increased his level of tennis in every match he has played,” explained Clar. “Casper has grown through this US Open. The early rounds are always difficult to play, there’s more pressure because you want to do well in the tournament. But he has played better in each match and increased his level right up to the final.”

On Sunday, he will be playing for glory, but he will be met on the other side of the net by an opponent who shares his dreams of greatness. All will be decided inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

John Peers and Storm Sanders’ long-held plan to team up on the doubles court proved worth the wait at the US Open, where the Australian pair defeated Kirsten Flipkens and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on Saturday to lift the mixed doubles title at the hard-court Grand Slam.

Peers and Sanders held their nerve in a Match Tie-break to complete a 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 final victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The fourth seeds were making their debut as a team this fortnight and they dropped just two sets all tournament to surge to the title in New York.

“I can’t believe we are Grand Slam champions, that’s crazy,” said Sanders when addressing Peers at the trophy presentation. “So, thank you so much for playing with me. We’ve been trying to set it up for the past year and I really enjoyed every moment on court with you.”

“Stormy, we got one! Well done,” said Peers to his title-winning partner. “It’s been a pleasure this week and a lot of fun, so hopefully we’ve got a few more coming up at some point.”

Storm Sanders and John Peers capture the #USOpen mixed doubles title! pic.twitter.com/JkOOxyTWtB

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2022

Peers and Sanders had been under pressure early in the championship match after dropping a first set in which they let slip three break point opportunities against Belgian-French duo Flipkens and Roger-Vasselin. The Australian pair made no mistake in the second set, decisively breaking in the 10th game to level proceedings.

A to-and-fro Match Tie-break ultimately went the way of Peers and Sanders after they won five of the final six points in the match, with a huge Peers ace down the middle sealing an 86-minute win. The fourth seeds were solid on delivery throughout, winning 83 per cent (34/41) of points behind their first serves.

“Congrats Flipper and Eddie on a really great two weeks,” said Sanders to Flipkens and Roger-Vasselin, who were playing together at a Grand Slam for the second time. “Today could have gone either way, so well done and good luck for the rest of the year.”

It is a first mixed doubles Grand Slam title for both Peers and Sanders. Peers, who is currently No. 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings, also won the 2017 Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside Henri Kontinen.

Carlos Alcaraz stands just one win away from his maiden Grand Slam crown and the World No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The stakes will have never been higher for the Spaniard in Sunday’s championship match at the US Open, but that wasn’t going to stop the 19-year-old taking time to revel in the moment after defeating Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling semi-final on Friday night.

“Well, [the final] is close. But at the same time is so far away, you know?” said Alcaraz in the aftermath of his five-set win. “It’s a final of a Grand Slam, fighting for the No. 1 in the world, something that I dream since I was a kid.

“What [can I] say? It is the final of a Grand Slam. Right now, I’m going to enjoy this moment. My first Grand Slam final. I will have time tomorrow to think about [winning the title].”

After prevailing in a quarter-final classic against Jannik Sinner on Wednesday at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz went the distance again on Friday against home favourite Tiafoe. It marked another stern test for the Spaniard’s Grand Slam credentials, but he held firm to set a championship match against Casper Ruud.

“It was incredible for me,” said Alcaraz. “I think I played great against Frances, who was playing unbelievable, as well, these two weeks. It’s an incredible feeling to be in a final, to be able to win this match after four hours, 20 minutes.

“I feel great right now. I mean, a little bit tired. But, yeah, I feel good, I feel great. Right now, I’m just so, so happy. I thought about a young man 10 years ago dreaming for this moment right now. Yeah, I’m feeling great.”

After letting slip a match point at 5-4 in the fourth set, Alcaraz held firm in the decider in the face of vociferous home support for Tiafoe. Yet the third seed was able to keep his focus on the considerable section of the crowd that was in his own corner as he relished the electric atmosphere on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I would say that 70% [of support], it was from the Frances [fans]. But I just hear the remaining 30%, you know? It was crazy. The night session here in Arthur Ashe in US Open, it’s crazy.”

Alcaraz let slip a match point when leading 5-4 in the fourth set against Tiafoe, after the American successfully chased down a drop shot from the Spaniard. Despite one of his trademark weapons costing him a point at a key moment, Alcaraz insists that his creativity is part of what has made him the player he is today.

“It was a tough moment for me, losing that match ball in that way, doing a dropshot that I could finish with a good forehand that I was hitting pretty well,” he said. “But I knew that I had to stay in the match, to stay calm, to stay playing well. I was playing well. But, yeah, it was a tough fourth set.

“I never give up, I try to fight for every point,” he added. “And some of those points help me to motivate myself, to smile and enjoy the moment. Sometimes you have to do a little magic, right?”

Alcaraz announced himself on the Grand Slam stage in New York a year ago, when he earned five-set wins against Peter Gojowczyk and Stefanos Tsitsipas before being forced to retire from his quarter-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Despite back-to-back five-setters against Jannik Sinner and Tiafoe in the past three days in New York, the 19-year-old is not worried about running out of steam for Sunday’s championship match against Casper Ruud.

“I would say now I’m more prepared,” said Alcaraz. “Last year I just played three Grand Slams before US Open, and I had just played, I’m going to say, one match [of] five sets.

“Now I’ve played more matches in five sets, I am more prepared mentally and physically. Yeah, it was 12 months of working hard in the gym, on the court. But I would say it’s all mental.”

Alcaraz’s next test is a third tour-level meeting against Ruud, who he defeated in straight sets in Miami in March to lift his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown. It is the Norwegian who enters Sunday’s clash with Grand Slam final experience, however, having reached the championship match at Roland Garros in July.

“I feel capable of beating him again,” said Alcaraz. “He has already played a Grand Slam final, and for me everything will be new. But everything new in my career I have faced in a good way. I hope to do the same on Sunday. I’m going to try to show my best version.”

With the winner set to become the new No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the stakes have never been higher for Alcaraz or Ruud. Yet the Spaniard feels he has all the tools in place to handle the pressure.

“Right now I’m not afraid of that moment,” said Alcaraz. “I have prepared myself mentally and physically to be able to live that moment, to fight for great things. But now it’s time to recover and enjoy. Tomorrow will be the day to mentally prepare for the final”.

His 2022 US Open dream may have been ended by Carlos Alcaraz on Friday night, but Frances Tiafoe believes his run to the semi-finals in New York could be the start of something bigger.

“I just proved that, honestly, I can play with the best obviously, and I’m capable of winning Grand Slams,” said Tiafoe after falling to the Spaniard in an epic five-setter at Flushing Meadows. “I think everyone knew when I play my best what I could do. But you know how close I can actually be to be one of those guys and to do this consistently.

“Obviously through my career I’ve been pretty sporadic of playing well, veering off for a while. I’ve always backed myself against the best players in the world. I’m doing it on a consistent basis, starting to beat guys more readily. [I’m] ready to take the next step.”

Tiafoe’s whirlwind fortnight in New York saw him become the only man to defeat Rafael Nadal at a major in 2022 with a fourth-round victory, before he reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final with a sublime straight-sets win against ninth seed Andrey Rublev.

“I haven’t even let it soak in yet, honestly,” said the American. “But craziest two weeks of my life. Craziest two weeks of my life. Stuff you dream about doing.

“[I] fell a little short. But, I mean, getting to the fourth round three years in a row, that’s already a good accomplishment. Beating Rafa, being the only player to beat Rafa in a Slam this year, the year he’s had. Him being in the race to be No. 1 in the world, shut that down.

“Just saying you beat him in a Grand Slam… It’s not an easy task. To have my first time beating him here in New York in front of everybody and seeing what that meant, that was crazy.”

Tiafoe believes a new approach to training and match preparation has been a key driver of his successes in New York.

“I’m definitely falling in love with the process and doing the work much more,” said Tiafoe, who is set to break the Top 20 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday. “I’m working smarter, I’m understanding. I’ve always tried hard, but [I’m making] my weaknesses stronger, breaking down my game a lot more, and I am a student of the game again.

“I always knew to put two weeks together is obviously the toughest thing in the world. That’s why only three guys were doing it for so long. After getting this deep, I understand how much rest is important during two weeks of slams. Again, I didn’t go out to dinner one time. Just resting. It’s tough. I mean, it’s definitely tough, three-out-of-five.”

Tiafoe’s exploits have captured the imagination of the home fans this fortnight. As it had during his triumphs against Nadal and Rublev, the support for Tiafoe from the stands contributed to a deafening atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for his semi-final clash with Alcaraz. He and the Spaniard responded in kind, treating the crowd to a pulsating four-hour, 19-minute epic.

“It was so electric,” said Tiafoe. “I mean, the tennis definitely matched the hype of the match. Unbelievable shot-making, gets, extending points, crazy shots, I mean, at crazy times.

“I was getting riled up. People love to see that guy play, so they were getting behind him, too. Obviously, I would have loved to win tonight, but I think tennis won tonight. I think the crowd got what they expected. I just wish I was the one who got the W.”

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, was among Tiafoe’s supporters in the crowd during Saturday’s semi-final. For Tiafoe, her presence added another surreal element to an already whirlwind fortnight.

“[It was] crazy getting to meet her after,” said the 24-year-old. “[I’ve] seen her before, but it’s a little bit different circumstance. She sees me and she’s actually excited to see me. Yeah, unbelievable. Unbelievable night.”

Tiafoe was full of praise for Alcaraz, who will take on Casper Ruud in Sunday’s championship match. Should the Spaniard triumph and lift his maiden Grand Slam crown, he will also become the youngest No. 1 spot in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“I think it’s going to be very tough to play him [in future],” said Tiafoe. “He’s one of the best players in the world, for sure. He’s so young. He hits the ball so hard. I never played a guy who moves as well as him, honestly. I’ve seen him get a lot of balls, but I was hitting some drop volleys that I’ve been hitting. He’s getting there. How he’s able to extend points, incredible.

“He’s a hell of a player. He’s going to be a problem for a very long time.”

One particularly positive sign for Tiafoe moving forward is the way he handled the high-pressure moments during his run in New York. The 22nd seed won eight from eight tie-breaks he played across his six matches this fortnight, including two against Alcaraz on Friday.

“I don’t know,” said Tiafoe, when asked about the secret behind his tie-break success. “I guess the breakers are just making sense. I really don’t know what to say. Usually in the other breakers, I was serving huge. Today I wasn’t serving so well at all. So, I was playing really well from the back.

“To seven points, you can get a little rhythm. If you get hot early, get on the guy. Plus the crowd’s behind me. You know, the guy gets a little nervous.

“It’s not easy to go 8-0 in breakers. I played a lot in this tournament. I wish the fifth [set] was a breaker, because maybe I would have been 9-and-0.”