When Carlos Alcaraz won his sixth Grand Slam title on Sunday, he did so by thoroughly outclassing the world's number one player in probably the best performance of his career so far.
Defending US Open champion Jannik Sinner - whose record on hard courts over the past two seasons is among the most imperious of any player on any surface in tennis history - was induced into a timid display in which he was overawed by the Spaniard.
The quality of Alcaraz's performance in his 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory led to something of an existential crisis in Sinner, who insisted afterwards that he needs to revamp game in order match Alcaraz's level.
For his part, Alcaraz believes he is reaching new heights.
I played perfectly, he said after lifting the trophy. This is the best tournament so far that I have ever played. The consistency of my level has been really, really high - it's something I've been working on.
At age 22, Alcaraz is already talked about among the sport's greatest ever players. But just how well does he rank against them so far?
Since Alcaraz joined the ATP Tour as a 16-year-old, he has been lauded for the variety of his play, being able to combine cutting low slices with ferocious forehands and deft drop shots to consistently catch opponents off guard.
But his ability to stitch together that all-around quality on any surface is what is already setting him apart from anybody else. Alcaraz has now won two Grand Slams on each of the hard, grass, and clay surfaces – only Rafael Nadal, Mats Wilander, and Novak Djokovic have ever achieved the same feat in the men's game.
The speed at which Alcaraz is racking up the majors is astonishing, too - he has taken only 18 tournaments to win six slams, equalling the record set by Bjorn Borg in 1978.
Only Borg has won six slams at a younger age than Alcaraz, doing so by winning three on clay at Roland Garros and three on grass at Wimbledon.
Comparatively, at 22, Nadal also had six, while Pete Sampras was at five and Wilander at four. The likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were significantly behind the pace at Alcaraz's age.
Alcaraz's serve, previously a strength, has transformed into a power tool, helping him secure the title in New York. Against Sinner, he recorded ten aces and raised his average serve speed significantly.
Despite the accolades, Alcaraz remains humble, stating that he still has room for improvement: At 22 years old, it's difficult to already be at your maximum level, he remarked. The tennis world eagerly watches to see how far he can go from here.
