C. ALCARAZ/F. Auger-Aliassime
6-2, 6-3
THE MODERATOR: Well done. Do you feel your level was better than the first match?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I felt really well on the court. Yeah, I played at a really high level of tennis, so much higher than the first round. Yeah, hopefully keep climbing, my level (smiling).
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. I think after your match against Marozsan in Rome, everyone has been waiting for the rematch. Have you been excited for the rematch? Are you looking forward to it?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes, of course. Obviously, yeah, after that lose, I felt really, really bad, you know. After that match I really wanted to rematch that match against him.
I mean, he's playing great tennis. He is beating big guys this probably past months. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to playing against him again.
Q. Has it been hard for you these last couple of months? I mean, you're not used to losing so much. You had that big streak when you won everything. Has it been frustrating not really knowing when you get onto the court what sort of form you're going to be in?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah. I mean, it was difficult months for me. My confidence go down a little bit. Not after Australia but in the South American swing. After Buenos Aires, I didn't play good tennis.
Yeah, my confidence go down a little bit, and I have been struggling during the practice every day, you know, try to keep my confidence high or as high as I can. Yeah, trying to be myself every day.
You know, yeah, after the first round I was struggling a little bit in the first set. I didn't play my tennis, but I found the good parts to start playing a little bit better, and today was a really good match since the beginning until the last ball.
So it was really helpful for my confidence and for my tennis.
Q. When you talk about confidence and it being lower than it normally is, is that simply because of wins and losses, or are there certain things that are happening on the court that maybe you're not able to execute certain elements of your game that you're having difficulties with?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm not looking to losses or winning. I'm looking in every match how it feel, how I hit the ball, how I move. I lost in the quarterfinal in Australia but I left Australia with a good feeling. I was playing great. But, you know, after that I was not feeling as good as I want.
But for me it's about feelings; not losses or winning.
Q. Do you have any concerns about your ankle anymore, Carlos?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Not really. I mean, I'm not going to say I forget it (smiling), but in the matches, I forget it at all. I move really well. I don't think about ankle in the matches, in the practice. But outside the court of course I have to take care about it. I get treatment every day in the ankle, doing specific work for the ankle.
But yeah, once I step in the court, I forget it.
Q. Defending a big title like a Masters 1000 and slams, it kind of requires a different kind of mindset and mentality. Can you talk to us a little bit about your approach as you come here to defend the title?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think the first thing that you have to do if you want to defend the title is you forget about you won the title last year. It's about being yourself, being at 100% every day if you want to do a good results here.
I'm not thinking about I have to defend the title, I have to play in the final. I'm just focusing on every day give my 100% in every practice, in every match how I can be better. I think if I'm following that path, I'll do really good results. I think I approach the tournament like this.
Q. Where do you rank this tournament in terms of all the tournaments in tennis? Obviously the Grand Slams are high, but for you personally in terms of tournaments you want to win, and then also in terms of just where you see the importance of this event?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, as I said, I love playing here. I think it's called the fifth Grand Slam, and I know why (smiling). I mean, the site is amazing, the courts. I mean, I feel here so peaceful that I think that tennis players, we are going to every tournament and we try to find, you know, that peace off the court, to feel calm, you know, and we find it here.
So I don't know. Everything here, I like it. Of course like every tournament a few things that it can be better. But yeah, I love playing here. I love being here. I really looking forward to coming here every year.
Of course it's a tournament that I really want to win every year.
Q. You were just saying that there was a little bit of a loss of confidence with the South American trip. What do you do in those situations? Do you try and get away from things? While you've been here when you haven't been on practice or playing a match, what have you been doing?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think these are difficult work, let's say. I try to put my 100% in every practice. I was trying to be focused in every ball. Of course, talking to Juan Carlos, my team, and of course with my psychologist a few times, it was really helpful for me. Yeah, I got a few tips that I have to do on the practice, on the matches.
Obviously for me, feeling well on the matches is very, very important. Yeah, as I said, I need that level that I played at the end of the first round, this match as well. I think that's help a lot. But yeah, I was really focused on every practice and being myself and giving my 100% in every shot.
Q. You have been on the circuit now for a little while, but still, you're very young. There are lots of changes. My question is just, can you talk about the growth you're feeling, what areas of growth that are exciting for you, what's difficult? On court, off, do you think it's a wonderful period of growth for you? If you could just talk about that.
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think for me, it's a little bit difficult to be myself, let's say, the last few months or the past few tournaments. I was trying to enjoy, let's say, every match, every point, but it was difficult for me, you know, to stay there in high intensity, high level of pressure, let's say.
It was difficult for me to deal with it, but I trying to stay away for everything and trying to, you know, enjoy the court. I think that's the most important thing for me. You know, as I said many times, I'm a guy that see a lot of the phone, and I see a lot of comments that the people give to you. Most of them are really good ones, but a few of them is the bad ones. You know, it's difficult to deal with it, but, yes, that's what I'm trying to do, to stay away from everything, be myself and enjoy every time that I step on the court.
