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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Records are meant to be broken. Something that tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has taken seriously. On 11th September, the Spanish star made it to the headlines by clinching his maiden grand slam title at the 2022 US Open. Winning the last major of the year, he went home with a check for a whopping $2.6 million. However, the trophy and the check weren’t the only things for the 2022 Madrid and Miami Masters champion.

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Apart from the trophy and the check, Alcaraz, with 6,740 points, also became the new ATP World No. 1. A milestone, that helped him write his name in the history books of the sport. A milestone, that also prompted golfing legend, Tiger Woods, to look up to him.

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Carlos Alcaraz becomes the youngest World No. 1

On 19th November 2001, Australia’s Leyton Hewitt became the youngest ATP World No. 1 at 20 years 8 months, and 26 days. 11 years later, with a victory at the Arthur Ashe stadium, Carlos Alcaraz has taken away the throne by becoming the World No. 1 at 19 years 4 months and 6 days.

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Achieving the milestone, he has overpowered tennis greats Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, all of whom reached the top spot in their 20s. However, these aren’t the only three legends he has left behind.

Also read- The Amusing Yet Impressive Story of Bryson DeChambeau Recording a Better Pro Debut Than Tiger Woods

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At 19 years, 4 months and 6 days, Alcaraz has also left behind arguably the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods. Scrolling through the history pages, the 15-time major champion took the top spot in the official rankings on 15th June 1997.

Digging further, the World Golf Hall of Famer was 21 years, 5 months, and 15 days old when he took the top spot. Doing the math, Alcaraz supersedes Woods by 2 years in the list of youngest World No 1s.

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Alcaraz has overpowered the mentioned legends in the list of youngest World No. 1s. However, the Spanish star takes a back seat when compared to some of the elite female entities. In the female golfing world, the youngest golfer to take the top spot ever is the Kiwi star, Lydia Ko at 17 years, 9 months, and 9 days.

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On the tennis side, the youngest ever player to take the top spot remains the Swiss sensation, Martina Hingis. Following a win at the 1997 Australian Open, Hingis, at 16 years, and 6 months, became the youngest player ever to take the top spot in the rankings.

Watch this story- Tiger Woods Once Asserted Courageous Bryson DeChambeau as the Future of Golf

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What are your views on Alcaraz’s glorious milestone? Will he be able to outplay the living legends on other milestones? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Written by

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Ahmar Wasif

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Ahmar Wasif is a Golf author at EssentiallySports. He is a national level tennis player and has a number of titles to his name. His experience on the court allows him to incorporate a deeper understanding in his coverage of the sport. Ahmar has worked with various media organizations as part of their editorial team, most recently with The Probe. When he's not following his idol Rafael Nadal, Ahmar loves to munch on food and try new and different cuisines.

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Edited by

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Rohini Kottu

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