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Carlos Alcaraz completes Nadal-Djokovic clay double

‘I have no limit’ – Carlos Alcaraz claims historic 1st with Nadal-Djokovic double


Carlos Alcaraz has become the first man to ever defeat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal back-to-back at the same tournament on clay after ousting the world number one to reach the Madrid Masters final. 

By downing Djokovic 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), the 19-year-old also became the second youngest man to ever defeat an ATP world number one.

He only loses out to idol Nadal by a few days as he downed Roger Federer in the semi-finals of Roland Garros 2005 on his 19th birthday.

Previously, 11 men had done the Nadal-Djokovic double, but none of them had achieved the feat on a clay court.

When asked if there is a limit to what he can achieve, Alcaraz answered: “I don’t think so.

“I’m just trying to put out a good game in every tournament and stay up there with the best in the world.”

He added that of course he will go for it in the final as he did in Miami to claim his maiden Masters 1000 crown.

Alcaraz is certainly staying with the world’s best, with his run in the Spanish capital propelling him further up the ATP rankings to a new career-high of sixth come the next update on Monday.

The Spanish teenager has won all of his first four tour-level finals and all in straight sets.

However, he faces Alexander Zverev for the Madrid title, a man he has lost to in straight sets in both their previous meetings.

On the historic clay double over Nadal and Djokovic, the other 11 men who have claimed that pair of results are Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Juan Martin del Potro, Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer, Ivan Ljubicic, Robin Soderling, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick, David Ferrer and David Nalbandian.

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