Spanish tennis is celebrating. Carlos Alcaraz has become the youngest player to qualify for the semifinals of the ATP Finals since Rafael Nadal in 2006.
The world No. 2 defeated Daniil Medvedev in his third and final group stage match on Friday in two sets (6-4, 6-4) to mathematically qualify for the ATP Finals, where he will face Novak Djokovic for the fourth and final time in 2023. In the other semifinal, Medvedev will face Jannik Sinner.
17 years later, Alcaraz emulates Nadal's steps. In that tournament, the veteran Spanish tennis player faced Roger Federer in the semifinals, where the Swiss would win 6-4, 7-5 in the most mediatic duel that could happen at that time, just like this year when 'Carlitos' faced Djokovic.
In addition, Carlos Alcaraz has become the eighth Spaniard in history to reach the semifinals of the ATP Finals, after Nadal himself, David Ferrer, Manuel Orantes, Carlos Moya, Alex Corretja, Sergi Bruguera and Juan Carlos Navarro, his current coach.
8 - Carlos Alcaraz is the 8th Spanish player to reach the ATP Finals SFs (after Orantes, Bruguera, Moya, Corretja, Ferrero, Nadal and Ferrer): only the USA have now more semi-finalists at this event (21). Fiesta. #NittoATPFinals | @atptour @ATPMediaInfo
