The 19-year-old Spaniard did not face a single break point en route to a 6-3, 6-1 victory on the Caja Mágica clay which makes him the youngest-ever Madrid Open champion.

Inversely, Germany's Zverev was broken four times and won just 29 points in the entire match.

Last year's champion was left to fume about match scheduling he labelled an "absolute disgrace" following the defeat.

None of that was of concern for Alcaraz, who had already beaten world number one Novak Djokovic and "King of Clay" Rafael Nadal to reach the final.

He is the first player to beat Serbia's Djokovic and fellow Spaniard Nadal - who between them have won 41 Grand Slam singles titles - at the same clay-court tournament, and adding the scalp of the defending champion will only serve to embellish Alcaraz's growing reputation.

Alcaraz now has two Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Masters 1000 titles to his name, adding to last month's Miami Open victory.

Alcaraz called this "the best week of my life".

"It feels great to be able to beat these players," Alcaraz said.

"To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the world number three. 

"He is a great player."

Next on the tennis calendar is the Italian Open, another clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event which begins tomorrow.

Alcaraz has withdrawn, but Djokovic, Nadal and Zverev are all set to compete in another star-studded men's event.

Twenty-year-old Jannik Sinner leads home hopes at the key warm-up event for the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year.

Poland's world number one Iga Świątek is set to return to defend her title in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament.

Players from Belarus and Russia can compete as neutrals, in accordance with ATP and WTA rules, despite prior suggestions from Italian politicians that they could follow the lead of Wimbledon organisers and ban Russians and Belarusians over the war in Ukraine.