Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his Madrid Open title with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff on Sunday, earning his 10th career title and setting himself up for a potential return to the top of the world rankings.
Alcaraz, the US Open champion, could reclaim the world number one spot from Novak Djokovic by playing a single match at the Rome Masters next week before the French Open.
Despite his opponent’s ranking of 65, Alcaraz had a tough time against the lucky loser Struff, who pushed him hard throughout the match.
The 20-year-old Spaniard was below his best but managed to become the youngest player since Rafael Nadal in 2006 to defend an ATP Masters 1000 title.
Although Struff showed nerves in the first game and conceded a break, he quickly regained his composure and proved to be a formidable opponent.
Alcaraz broke again for a 4-3 lead and survived a triple break point to win the first set. In the second set, Struff roared into a 3-0 lead and produced a remarkable hold in the 15-minute fifth game for 4-1, eventually serving it out to level the match.
The third set was closely contested, with Alcaraz eventually breaking for a 3-1 lead when Struff hit a volley long. The German stayed resilient until the end but Alcaraz clinched victory when his opponent sent a backhand long.
Alcaraz’s victory at the Madrid Open adds to his wins in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, and Indian Wells this year as he prepares for the upcoming French Open.
In the women’s final on Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek to claim the title in the Spanish capital.
