US Open 2022: Alex Corretja on why ‘it’s very difficult’ to play Carlos Alcaraz ahead of final with Casper Ruud

Eurosport expert Alex Corretja hailed Carlos Alcaraz for continuing his outstanding progress and “explosive” style of play heading into his US Open showdown against Casper Ruud.

Alcaraz takes on Ruud in Sunday’s final, as the Spaniard aims to secure his first Grand Slam in the early stages of what appears to be a hugely-promising career in the sport.

A victory for Alcaraz would see him become the youngest man to win a major since compatriot Rafael Nadal’s success at the French Open in 2005, and Corretja is hugely impressed by Alcaraz.

“Well, he’s an overall player, he can play no matter who you are or where you are. He has the desire to be the best,” he said.

“He’s moving extremely well and it’s very important to do that on this surface and against players who hit the ball so hard.

“His game is very explosive, it’s very difficult to find spots to win a point against him because he usually dictates a lot. It depends a lot on him, and no matter who he plays, it seems like he’s always going to have the chance to go for the winners.”

The 19-year-old has slugged it out to get to the final after coming through three consecutive epic five-set matches, which equates to an astonishing 13 hours and 28 minutes on the court.

It was his performance against Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals which stood out for Corretja, with the match going on until 2.50am to set a record for the latest finish at the US Open.

“For me, the exhibition he played the other night against Sinner was unbelievable because they brought tennis to different levels.

“They were hitting the ball so hard, with few mistakes, very precise and maybe Sinner had a better serve which helped him so much to stay in the match.

“But for Alcaraz to beat Sinner the way the Italian played was a great effort because Jannik was hitting the ball huge from both sides – forehand, backhand, serve.”

The levels of performance from Alcaraz seem to surprise even the man himself, who is clearly relishing the drama which comes from competing at the highest level.

He said: “I still don’t know how I did it. The level I played, high quality of tennis. It’s unbelievable.

“I always say you have to believe in yourself all the time. Hope is the last thing you use. I believed in myself, my game.”

Alcaraz’s semi-final victory over Frances Tiafoe was equally impressive and he knows that another win would see him become the youngest top-ranked men’s player in ATP rankings history.

The final is due to get underway at the Arthur Ashe Stadium at 21:00 BST on Sunday.

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