'New superstar' Alcaraz beats Zverev in Madrid for fourth title of the year

MADRID — Carlos Alcaraz capped another impressive week with a straight-set victory over Alexander Zverev on Sunday to win the Madrid Open and become the second-youngest player to win two Masters 1000 titles.

After victories over his idol Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, the Spanish teenage sensation comfortably defeated No. 3 Zverev 6-3, 6-1.

Zverev was trying to win his second consecutive Madrid title, and third overall.

"Right now you are the best player in the world," Zverev told the 19-year-old Alcaraz. "Even though you are still 5 years old, you are still beating us all, so great to see for tennis that we have such a new superstar who is going to win many Grand Slams, who is going to be No. 1 and is going to win this tournament many times."

Alcaraz became the youngest winner in Madrid, and the second youngest to win two Masters 1000 trophies after Nadal won in Monte Carlo and Rome in 2005. Alcaraz had already become the youngest to enter the top 10 since Nadal did it in 2005.

It was the seventh straight win over a top-10 player for Alcaraz, and his tour-leading fourth title of the year. He also has the most wins this season with 28, one more than Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Alcaraz had won his first Masters 1000 tournament in Miami earlier this year. He had also won in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona. His first career title came in Umag last year.

Alcaraz's three losses this season came against Sebastian Korda in Monte Carlo, Nadal in Indian Wells and Matteo Berrettini in the Australian Open.

After long three-set wins over Nadal and Djokovic, Alcaraz kept his high energy from the start against Zverev and was in control throughout the match at the "Caja Magica'' center court.

He didn't face any break points and converted four of the eight he had against the second-seeded Zverev. Alcaraz had 11 unforced errors compared to 25 by Zverev.