Final frontier: Carlos Alcaraz

KEY POINTS

  • Casper Ruud, the new World No. 2, will take home $1.3 million in prize money
  • Semifinalists Frances Tiafoe of the USA and Karen Khachanov of Russia received a paycheck of $705,000 each
  • In 2021, U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev received $2.5 million, while runner-up Novak Djokovic earned $1.25 million

Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Casper Ruud, claimed his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open and became the youngest man to ascend to the World No. 1 ranking.

"This is something that I dreamt of since I was a kid — to be number one in the world, to be a champion of a Grand Slam," said the 19-year-old champion.

"This is something that I tried to achieve, all the hard work that I did with my team and my family. I'm just 19 and all the top decisions were taken by my parents and my team. This is something that is really, really special for me," he added.

Alcaraz, the first teenager to claim the top spot, is the youngest Grand Slam men's champion since Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open.

He is also the youngest champion in New York since Pete Sampras in 1990.

How much will the young champ earn?

Alcaraz, who rose to the top of the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings by his 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 win, will earn $2.6 million, according to the U.S. Open.

A whopping $42,628,000 total was up for grabs in the final Grand Slam of 2022, with equal prize money offered for men and women.

Of this figure, runner-up Ruud, the new World No. 2, will take home $1.3 million in prize money.

Semifinalists Frances Tiafoe of the USA and Karen Khachanov of Russia received a paycheck of $705,000 each.

Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, and Nick Kyrgios, who failed to advance beyond the quarterfinal stage, left with $445,000 each.

Those who exited the Round of 16 got paychecks of $278,000, while those who made their exit during the Round of 32 received checks of $188,000.

U.S. Open contestants unable to progress beyond the second round received $121,000 in prize money, while those unable to progress in the first round got $80,000.

The 2022 U.S. Open witnessed a rise in total prize money for all the competitions, with a staggering $60 million on offer, compared to last year's figure of $57.5 million.

In 2021, U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev received $2.5 million, while runner-up Novak Djokovic earned $1.25 million.

Fired-up: Carlos Alcaraz celebrates a point