It all comes down to this. Carlos Alcaraz will compete for his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday, in Trieste, Italy.
The 17-year-old Spaniard is continuing to make a name for himself on the clay of Trieste, streaking to the championship match from qualifying. A high-octane 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over fellow teen Lorenzo Musetti gave him his sixth victory in eight days.
Alcaraz, who crashed onto the scene in February with a breakthrough ATP Tour debut in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the fastest-rising teens in professional tennis. The Juan Carlos Ferrero pupil is projected to rise more than 50 spots this week to crack the Top 300 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.
Watch Trieste Final On Sunday (10am CET)
With a full arsenal of weapons from the baseline, as well as a lethal drop shot and impressive agility, Alcaraz is already taking the Challenger circuit by storm. And he's making history along the way...
Fast Facts
- Carlos is the first player born in the year 2003 to reach a Challenger final.
- Carlos is the youngest player to reach a Challenger final since Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sevilla in 2017.
- Only one other Spaniard has reached a final at a younger age: Rafael Nadal. Nadal advanced to six finals in 2003 at the ages of 16 & 17.
- Carlos is one of just five 17-year-olds from Spain to reach a Challenger final, joining Nadal, Nicola Kuhn, Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Robredo. Kuhn was just one day older when he lifted his first trophy in Braunschweig in 2017.
- Carlos is the second teenager to reach a Challenger final this year. Tomas Machac, aged 19 from the Czech Republic, won the title in Koblenz, Germany, in February.
Youngest Spanish Finalists On ATP Challenger Tour
| Player | Age | Final Reached |
| Rafael Nadal | 16 years, 7 months |
2003 Hamburg (lost) |
| Rafael Nadal |
16 years, 8 months |
2003 Cherbourg (lost) |
| Rafael Nadal |
16 years, 9 months |
2003 Cagliari (lost) |
| Rafael Nadal |
16 years, 9 months |
2003 Barletta (won) |
| Rafael Nadal |
16 years, 10 months |
2003 Aix-en-Provence (lost) |
| Rafael Nadal |
17 years, 1 month |
2003 Segovia (won) |
| Carlos Alcaraz |
17 years, 3 months, 25 days |
2020 Trieste |
| Nicola Kuhn |
17 years, 3 months, 26 days |
2017 Braunschweig (won) |
| Nicolas Almagro |
17 years, 10 months |
2003 Olbia (won) |
| Tommy Robredo |
17 years, 10 months |
2000 Barletta (lost) |
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3jkT1Pc
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