With world number four Ruud already assured of a semi-final berth the match was in reality a dead rubber.
Four-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who is gearing up to defend the French Open title later this month, fired off 24 winners in a strong performance to seal victory.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz said a tight tennis calendar makes it difficult for players to stay motivated throughout the year and increases the risk of injuries.
18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz earned his first ATP Masters 1000 crown
Novak Djokovic won 12 of the last 14 games of his match against Lorenzo Musetti to crush the Italian 6-2, 6-2 and move into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in his best performance since the Australian Open.
Coco Gauff dismantled defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday with a ruthless display to storm into her first Madrid Open final, where she will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka for the WTA 1000 title.
Nadal stretched his record of men's singles Grand Slam titles to 22
Alex Michelsen hung on to defeat Tung-Lin Wu and help the United States take a 2-0 lead against Taiwan in the Davis Cup qualifier in Taipei City on Friday.
Jannik Sinner will hope to block out a rocking home crowd on Sunday when he faces Taylor Fritz in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows, where the 12th seed will be bidding to become the first American man in 21 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Zverev cruised past home favorite Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, while Sabalenka triumphed over qualifier Anna Blinkova 6-3, 6-4.
Team Europe and Team World are tied at 2 after one day of the Laver Cup after play opened Friday in Berlin.
The frustrated 24-year-old shook hands with his opponent and the umpire before he strode off the court, effectively defaulting himself from the contest.
Last year's runner-up and seventh seed Ruud will now advance to the semi-finals, where he could face fourth seed Alexander Zverev or 11th seed Alex de Minaur.
How the winners celebrated on Day 11 of the French Open.
Take a look at the five top contenders for the men's singles title at the French Open:
Chasing his 23rd Grand Slam, a frustrated Novak Djokovic was seen complaining to the umpire.
Here is what you need to know about the year's Australian Open:
Nadal arrived in Paris with his own doctor to get through the tournament despite the injury.
The Indian team is staring at a heavy defeat in its Davis Cup World Group first round tie after conceding a 0-2 lead to hosts Norway following Ramkumar Ramnathan's loss to Viktor Durasovic in the second singles in Lillehammer, Norway.
'With all the foot issues, just turned 36, he adds his 22nd Major'
Novak Djokovic's erratic form, Rafael Nadal's fitness woes and untimely injuries to top-ranked youngsters have set up an uncertain French Open men's tournament
Carlos Alcaraz demolished Mattia Bellucci to banish memories of last year's shock early exit at the US Open on Wednesday.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic was beaten by Tomas Machac in the Geneva Open semi-finals.
Tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti rallied from a set down to beat Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday even as Carlos Alcaraz mauled big-serving American Reilly Opelka and veteran Venus Williams made an emotional exit.
The stakes could not be higher in Sunday's Flushing Meadows final between Spanish teenaged phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz and Norwegian Casper Ruud, with the US Open trophy and the world number one ranking awaiting the winner.
Within touching distance of Grand Slam No. 23, Novak Djokovic said he's in an ideal position to lift the record title in Paris.
Alexander Zverev into ATP Finals semis after straight sets win over Carlos Alcaraz
Russian seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 Miami champion who arrived this year fresh off a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals, crashed out at the first hurdle as he fell 6-2, 6-3 to Spaniard Jaume Munar.
'Let's be confident, let's be positive and let's see what's going on'
Teichmann wins singles, Anshba-Pridankina claim doubles at Mumbai Open
Alexander Zverev continued to rebuild his confidence on clay with a straight sets win over Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the Monte Carlo Masters second round.
Madison Keys was dumped out of the Miami Open third round on Sunday, falling 6-4, 6-2 to Philippine wild card Alexandra Eala
Having lost both the singles on the opening day, the Yuki-Saketh pair did put up a fight before losing to the fancied Norwegian duo in an hour and 50 minutes.
Sweltering heat gripped the second-round action at the US Open on Wednesday
With poise beyond his 19 years and enviable stamina, Carlos Alcaraz faced down the crowd and Frances Tiafoe on Friday night to collect another thrilling win and reach the US Open final.
Ruud, who did not take kindly to Kyrgios's tweet then about how he had celebrated the victory, said the hot-headed 24-year-old was "completely crazy" and had behaved like an "idiot" on the court.
Defiant Djokovic still targeting Grand Slam wins after Australia setback
Images from Day 3 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday.
Novak Djokovic said he is building up to hit top form for his French Open title defence.
Factbox on Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Alexander Zverev
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