Ranking Reaction: Carlos Alcaraz crashes Top 20 after breakthrough run in Rio

On this day a year ago, Carlos Alcaraz was ranked No. 141.

Today, the 18-year-old Spaniard storms into the Top 20, rising from No. 29 to No. 20 on the ATP rankings after winning the biggest title of his young career at the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro—he’s actually the youngest player to win an ATP 500 title since that level of tournament officially began in 2009.

“I can’t believe it, honestly,” he said after beating Diego Schwartzman in the final.

“It’s an amazing feeling right now.”

It’s been a meteoric rise up the ATP rankings for the Spanish teenager, who only broke into the Top 30 for the first time three weeks ago after the Australian Open.

CARLOS ALCARAZ’S NOTABLE RANKING DEBUTS
~ Top 200 debut on September 14, 2020 (after reaching a Challenger final in Italy)
~ Top 100 debut on May 24, 2021 (after winning a Challenger title in Portugal)
~ Top 50 debut on September 13, 2021 (after reaching first Grand Slam QF at US Open)
~ Top 30 debut on January 31, 2022 (after reaching 3rd Rd of Australian Open)
~ Top 20 debut on February 21, 2022 (after winning first ATP 500 title in Rio de Janeiro)

Alcaraz has also gotten to the Top 20 faster than any of the Big 3—Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic both did it when they were 19, and Rafael Nadal was 18 years and 305 days old when he did it on April 4th, 2005 (Alcaraz is 18 years and 292 days old today).

Alcaraz isn’t the only player making a notable debut on the ATP rankings this week—Alexander Bublik, who recently won his first ATP title in Montpellier, inches up from No. 31 to No. 30 for his Top 30 debut, and American Tommy Paul makes his Top 40 debut, moving up from No. 41 to No. 39 after reaching the semifinals in Delray Beach.

And over on the WTA rankings, Jelena Ostapenko jumps from No. 21 to No. 13 after capturing the biggest hard-court title of her career at the WTA 500 event in Dubai, her first time in the Top 20 since October of 2018, and Paula Badosa—who will defend her Indian Wells title in a few weeks—rises from No. 5 to a new career-high of No. 4.

Badosa is the 64th player to reach the Top 4 in WTA rankings history—there have been 27 players to reach No. 1, 12 players with a career-high of No. 2, 13 players with a career-high of No. 3 and (now) 12 players with a career-high of No. 4.

She’s the sixth active singles player with a career-high WTA ranking of No. 4, joining Caroline Garcia, Bianca Andreescu, Belinda Bencic, Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek.