Stat of the Day: Carlos Alcaraz becomes second man ever to win back-to-back titles in Madrid

Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his Mutua Madrid Open title, battling past Jan-Lennard Struff in the final, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Alcaraz is just the second man to win the Mutua Madrid Open in back-to-back years since it made its debut on the ATP calendar in 2002, after Rafael Nadal, who won it back-to-back in 2013 in 2014.

"For me it's so, so special to lift the trophy here in Madrid," Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. "It's a win I'll never forget."

Madrid is Alcaraz’s fourth ATP title of the year, following triumphs at Buenos Aires, Indian Wells and Barcelona. He’s an incredible 29-2 on the season now, his only two losses coming to Cam Norrie in the Rio de Janeiro final and to Jannik Sinner in the Miami semifinals.

It’s also his fourth career Masters 1000 title, following triumphs at Miami and Madrid last year and Indian Wells this year.

It's also the milestone 10th ATP title of his career.

And there’s more—Alcaraz is just the third man ever to win his first four Masters 1000 finals, since the Masters 1000 level began in 1990.

PLAYERS TO WIN THEIR FIRST FOUR (OR MORE) MASTERS 1000 FINALS:
~ Jim Courier: won first five Masters 1000 finals (finished 5-0)
~ Michael Chang: won first five Masters 1000 finals (finished 7-2)
~ Carlos Alcaraz: won first four Masters 1000 finals (4-0 so far...)

After grinding through a 52-minute first set, Alcaraz got broken in the second game of the second set and just couldn’t get the break back from the big-serving Struff—despite holding five break points in the fifth game—and the two ended up going to a decider.

Alcaraz was in trouble early on again, facing a break point serving at 1-all, but he held for 2-1 and then snuck out a quick break for 3-1, and the two held the rest of the way until it was all over.

“It has been a really tough one. Jan is playing great, very aggressive,” Alcaraz said after the two-hour, 25-minute battle. “Sometimes I couldn’t play my game. I was just waiting for my chances.

“In the second set I had a lot of chances to break his serve and didn’t take it, so it was tough for me, you know, to lose the second set. But I told myself that I had to be positive all the time, that I was going to have my chances and try to take it, and I think I did it in the third set.”

It was a historic week for Struff—the No. 65-ranked German became the first lucky loser ever to reach a Masters 1000 final. He’s now projected to rise to No. 28 according to the ATP's official live rankings, surpassing his previous career-high of No. 29 from 2020.