- Rafael Nadal Returns to the Practice Court
- Sunday Start: 2024 Australian Open Will Be 15-Day Event
- Ricky’s preview and pick for the Beijing semifinals: Alcaraz vs. Sinner
- Ricky’s preview and pick for the Beijing semifinals: Medvedev vs. Zverev
- Beijing Open Draws and Schedule for Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023
- Qinwen Zheng: I Cried When Coach Wim Fissette Quit
- Esteemed Writer Richard Evans Nominated for International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Beijing Open Draws and Schedule for Monday, October 2nd, 2023
- Beijing Open Draws and Schedule for Sunday, October 1st, 2023
- Ons Jabeur Wins First Hard-Court Title in Ningbo
- Beijing Open Draws and Schedule for Saturday, September 30th, 2023
- Cast Your Vote For Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024
- Beijing Open Draws and Schedule for Friday, September 29th, 2023
- Beijing Open Draws and Schedule for Thursday, September 28th, 2023
- Lindsay Davenport Named New U.S. Billie Jean King Cup Captain
Alcaraz wins in Rio de Janeiro, Rublev and Norrie also secure ATP titles on Sunday
- Updated: February 20, 2022

By Ricky Dimon
Carlos Alcaraz secured his second and biggest ATP title on Sunday evening. He made some history in doing so, too.
Alcaraz became the youngest ATP 500 champion ever (since the new points structure was introduced in 2009) when he defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-2 in the Rio Open final. A rain-delayed tournament saw the 18-year-old finally get across the finish line in a mercifully swift one hour and 27 minutes.
Both Alcaraz and Schwartzman played their quarterfinal and semifinal matches on Saturday because of rain earlier in the week. The Spaniard spent three hours and 49 minutes on the court while beating Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini, while the 14th-ranked Argentine needed five hours and 34 minutes to get past Pablo Andujar and Francisco Cerundolo.
Schwartzman raced to a 2-0 lead in the opening set on Sunday, but Alcaraz answered with a break in the third game and from there he never lost control. Although the world No. 29 gave back a break early in the second set, he quickly added two more service breaks as Schwartzman understandably faded down the stretch.
“I think this is my game: it’s a lot of variety,” Alcaraz explained. “It’s the key [to how] I won the match. I know how Diego plays and this was really important for me.
“I can’t believe it, honestly. It has been a great week for me playing (at) a great level. (It was my) first tournament on clay [in] a long time, so I’m really happy with the performance during the whole week. It’s an amazing feeling right now.”

Alcaraz was joined in the winners’ circle on Sunday by Andrey Rublev (Marseille) and Cameron Norrie (Delray Beach).
Rublev avenged a recent Rotterdam loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime by prevailing 7-5, 7-6(4). The seventh-ranked Russian also captured the Marseille doubles title with Denys Molchanov. Norrie took down Reilly Opelka 7-6(1), 7-6(4) in a match that predictably featured zero breaks of serve. Opelka saved all five of the break points he faced.
Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.