Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal make history with Spaniards set to take top two ATP ranking spots

Spaniards Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal will make history when they become the top two ranked players in the world on Monday.

Casper Ruud’s defeat to Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-finals of the Korea Open on Friday will see him surrender the No. 2 spot to Nadal when the ATP rankings are updated.

That will mean that both of the top two spots will be occupied by Spanish players for the first time ever.

It will also mark the first time in more than 22 years that two players from the same country have sat on top of the pile, going back to Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras of the United States in August 2000.

Alcaraz and Nadal have both had the week off, after the latter competed at Roger Federer’s emotional farewell to tennis in the Laver Cup last week.

But the 36-year-old will move up one position, from third to second, after Ruud suffered a 2-6 6-3 2-6 defeat to Nishioka in the ATP 250 event in Seoul.

Alcaraz clinched the first Grand Slam of his career at the US Open earlier this month, beating Ruud in the final in four sets.

That victory saw him climb to the top of the rankings, becoming the youngest world No.1 ever aged 19 years, four months and six days.

The Spanish sensation has 6,740 points, while Nadal is on 5,810 points.

Ruud travelled to Korea 40 points above Nadal, but his defeat will see him fall to third place.

Nadal has also had a memorable year, winning his 21st and 22nd Grand Slam titles at the Australian and French Opens.

That saw the Spaniard become the most successful player of the Open era, with Novak Djokovic sitting behind him on 21 Grand Slam singles titles and Federer on 20.