Madrid Open 2022 score, winner and recap: Carlos Alcaraz dismantles Alexander Zverev to become youngest champion in Madrid

Carlos Alcaraz proved that he is made for the big stage as he dethroned Alexander Zverev in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday.

Alcaraz, who beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in back-to-back matches to reach the final, took down the defending champion to improve to 5-0 in tour finals.

At 19 years and three days old, the Spaniard surpassed countryman Rafael Nadal to become the youngest champion in Madrid. Nadal was 19 years and five months old when he won the event in 2005.

Alcaraz will rise three spots to No. 6 in the ATP rankings on Monday. He has also moved to second place in the Race to Turin.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev score

Alcaraz upended World No. 3 Zverev 6-3, 6-1 to secure his first title in Madrid.

He is now 2-0 in Masters 1000 finals, having claimed his maiden trophy at this level in Miami last month.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev winner

With the win, the Spaniard improved to 1-2 against Zverev. Alcaraz had lost to the German in their first two meetings in Vienna and Acapulco when he was still ranked outside the top 40.

Alcaraz also became the first player to beat three top-four players at a Masters 1000 event since David Nalbandian swept the Big 3 of Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer in Miami 15 years ago.

He also became the sixth player in the Open Era to win his first five tour-level finals.

Meanwhile, Zverev, who held a 19-2 record in Madrid coming into the match, suffered just his third loss in the Spanish capital. He dropped to 21-8 for the season.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev recap

Alcaraz took the initiative in the sixth game of the opening set as he broke Zverev at love for a 4-2 lead.

He held on to his advantage to close out the opener 6-3, bamboozling the German with his array of shots.

Zverev could not find an answer to the Alcaraz puzzle as he was held to a single game in the second set.

Alcaraz turned to the drop shot time and again, breaking Zverev at love to move ahead 2-1.

Two double faults and two further miscues by the German in his next service game enabled the Spaniard to go 4-1 up.

Alcaraz held to love and then secured three championship points on the Zverev serve. But the German erased all three following a pair of forehand errors by the young Spaniard and a drop shot that he concocted as he inched his way to the net.

Zverev, however, double faulted twice to gift Alcaraz the victory.

Alcaraz fired 12 winners and committed just 11 errors in the 61-minute match. Zverev, on the other hand, struck seven winners while committing 25 unforced errors.

The Spaniard converted four of the eight break points he earned against Zverev, who failed to make any inroads on his return games.