Saturday, March 15, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

J. DRAPER/C. Alcaraz

6-1, 0-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tough one today, Carlos. In hindsight, what do you think you could have done better today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, this one hurts. I don't want to lose any match, but I think this one was even more special to me. It was difficult today, a lot of nerves in the match.

What could I have done better? Just to play my style and, you know, stepping on the court with less nerves. I think that was a big difference.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can I ask you about the call in the third set with the double bounce? Actually, I didn't see the call initially. I watched it on video since then. Did it surprise you? Did it throw you off? Sort of a long debate that went with it.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, not really. I mean, I didn't see if it was one bounce or two bounces at the beginning. So I was just waiting for the review.

I mean, and after, you know, with the second review, it was in the middle of the point or after I hit it, so I wasn't sure enough. So I didn't hear, you know, while I was hitting the ball, but I wasn't sure enough to say something.

And, you know, waiting for the ball reviews, they didn't bother to me at all. I mean, that way it was normal for the review, so all I can say is Jack came, he played much better than me. You know, that point didn't affect, you know, for my play at all.

Q. We saw you on TV before the start of the match. You were warming up on the bike, and you were having a big conversation with Juan Carlos. Was it strategy or was it a specific problem before going to the match today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, I think today has been a difficult day for me. I didn't practice well. I didn't feel myself well on court.

You know, even in the warming up on court, I was missing a lot. I didn't feel my shots. So that's why I was talking with Juan Carlos on the bike, because I was a little bit mad with myself about the way I warmed up on court.

As I said, I didn't approach the match in the best way that I could. So I was nervous during the whole day, in the practice before the match, and I think that affect, you know, to the match. So that's why I had the conversation with Juan Carlos on the bike.

Q. When you were just saying that you feel upset with yourself and very disappointed with this result, is it because you were trying to win a third one in a row? Why are you more upset here with this result? Also, how long do you think it might take you to just forget about it and get on?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, obviously I wanted to win the third in a row, but, I mean, I can't pretend to win every match. I am not as upset about not getting the third one in a row. I am upset about myself, about the way that I approached the match, the way that I felt during the whole day, that I couldn't calm down myself.

That's, for me, the most disappointed thing that I'm feeling right now, because, I mean, is probably one of the worst sets that I have played in my whole career, the first set.

So that means how nervous I was, you know, before the match, during the whole day. So that's, for me, it is really disappointing. How much it's gonna take to take the upset? Not too much. Not too much. Because I consider myself a person who learns from the fails, from the losses. The last time that I lost here was the semifinal, and after all, I won Miami, so I think I will go for it. I will learn from that match, and I will make the most of myself in Miami.

Q. Carlos, you played Jack a couple of times on outdoor hard courts. He hasn't been able to finish the match against you. What do you see in his game? I know it wasn't your best day, but how do you feel about how his game is progressing? What challenges does he give you in his current form?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, I think he didn't play at his best level today. I think everybody saw it. Today, it was a match that who better play in these conditions wins, and it was to his side.

I remember, you know, in January when I played him in Australia, he had to retire. I said, You will be where you deserve.

And he deserve to be top 10. He deserves to play a final in the Masters 1000. I am happy about him because I didn't doubt about his level, about himself.

He's ready to stay there for a long time. He's ready to play for the big events, for the big tournaments. I didn't surprise about what I see today. Just it wasn't an easy match for him, playing for the top 10, playing for the first Masters 1000 final, and I think he did great. He dealt with the nerves better than I did. So great to him and all the best in the final.

Q. Do you know why you were so nervous today? Was part of it the fact that you knew you were playing a quality opponent?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I always say that I have to be focused on myself, on my own game. I think today I was more worried about his level, his game, than myself.

So I think that's was a big problem to me, that I was always thinking about his weakness than my best things. So when you're thinking more about the opponent than yourself, then it is a big problem.

So that's what happened today. Since the beginning of the day, since the morning, I was thinking about his game, because he's really tough, he's really solid, and it's going to be a really physical match. So I was thinking all these things since the beginning of the day, and I think that a big problem.

Q. During this tournament, you had an almost perfect match with Grigor and you had today for a set. You can reach a level maybe never seen sometimes, sometimes, sorry about that...

CARLOS ALCARAZ: You can say, don't worry. (Laughter.)

Q. Sometimes it's not easy to follow you for us. Is it easy for you to follow you and point out how you can be so high and then have bad moments?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, that's something that I'm working on. I mean, I think it is one of the most difficult things that you can do it, you know, in tennis.

In tennis, you're playing for the whole year, less stops, so you're playing like 16, 17, 18 tournaments per year. You're playing, like, 80 matches per year.

So one of the most difficult things to maintain the good level, 80 matches, that's something that I am looking forward to do, to play at my best tennis or close to my best tennis every match, every tournament.

I'm still sometimes myself, even myself, I forget that I'm 21 years old, so I have to think that I'm still young, that I have to a lot of things to improve, and that thing is one of those.

You know, I think I'm improving. I'm getting more mature. I'm getting close to what I want it to be, but I still sometimes playing such a really high level, and then my level go down a lot.

So I have to think about it. I have to keep working, keep going. Hopefully soon it's going to be much better.