Tommy Paul Carries the Torch for American Men’s Tennis Against Carlos Alcaraz to End a 6-Year Barren Spell Against the Best

Tommy Paul has just stunned the world with his landmark victory over Carlos Alcaraz. The American rising star came into the match as a massive underdog but played a near-flawless match. As he cements a place in the Toronto semi-finals, he will be eager to go all the way to glory here. However, this victory was not just monumental for him, but also for American tennis.

Paul was dialed in from the very first point. He never trailed in the match and bagged the first set with ease. Despite losing the second set, the American sealed the deal in three sets and ended Alcaraz’s 14-match winning streak in the tour events. While doing so, he also ended a 6-year drought for American tennis.

Tommy Paul’s triumph over Alcaraz is a win for America

American tennis hasn’t tasted enough success in men’s tennis over the years. Since Andy Roddick’s heroics in the 2003 US Open championship, they are yet to witness a male Slam champion. However, in recent years, certain players like Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Sebastian Korda have shown enough promise. But it was Tommy Paul who finally delivered.

The World No. 14 American player dethroned World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to register his sixth Top 5 win in tennis. The American dominated the serve-return exchanges, found much more depth in his groundstrokes and forced several errors off the Spaniard’s racket to claim victory.

With his win over the World No.1, Paul became the first American since John Isner in 2017 to beat the World No. 1. It’s a monumental achievement for American men’s tennis as the drought was close to six years now. He was certainly over the moon with the win and in his on-court interview, Paul revealed the secret behind his success over Alcaraz.

READ MORE: Despite Carlos Alcaraz’s Frustrations Boiling Over at the Canadian Open, the Spaniard Gets Away With His Racket Act

What helped Paul overcome Carlos Alcaraz?

Paul had beaten Alcaraz in the same tournament last year, albeit in Montreal. The win gave him a great deal of confidence as he did not feel the mental blockage of taking on the world No.1. Last year, Alcaraz was the World No.4 during their encounter, but the American knew he has what it takes to beat him. Paul said, “It helps knowing you can beat your opponent. You never want to walk on court & be like ‘I don’t know if I can beat this guy.’ It’s kind of the attitude you’ve got to have no matter who you’re playing.”

Paul followed up the on-court interview with another sweet gesture. While signing the camera, he left a heartwarming message for his mother. The American wrote “Hi Mom” on the camera screen and drew a smile along with it. Defeating the World No. 1 warrants a celebration, and Paul remembered his roots as he enjoyed the moment.

Do you think Paul can reign supreme in Toronto and win his first Masters title? Let us know in the comments.

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