Press Conferences
Carlos Alcaraz -- March 8, 2025
March 8, 2025
C. ALCARAZ/Q. Halys
6-4, 6-2
THE MODERATOR: Carlos, how nice was it to be back on one of your favorite courts in the world?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm just really happy to be back here in Indian Wells, to play here again. I felt really good. I think I couldn't ask for a better start, so just happy and excited for the next round.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. You said just before the tournament started you had played some golf. Now that the tournament has started, you have played matches, are you still playing golf?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I still playing golf (laughter). Right now that the tournament is 12 days, and in the first round we have a day off between matches, so every time I can I will try to play some golf. We stay in a house that we have pretty easy to play golf.
So for me it's really helpful. So every time that I can, I will still playing.
Q. You said after the match that sometimes the first match of a tournament you're a little nervous. Can you expand on that a little bit. Why are you nervous in the first match of a tournament?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, because it's, you know, it's kind of new. I mean, I have played the tournaments a lot of times, but every year is kind of different. Different feelings, different, I gonna say different everything.
This is the first time, if I'm not wrong, that I'm playing against Halys, for example, so I didn't know how it's gonna be at the beginning. So that's why I was a little bit nervous.
Obviously talking about this tournament, it's something that I really want to go far, and probably it is an extra pressure. That's why I was a little bit nervous.
So I try to show that I wasn't, but I think it is normal and it's gonna be like that in every tournament, I guess.
Q. Before the match, during the coin flip, the beekeeper was there from last year. Kind of a funny moment. Was it funny to see him again? Did you think about that?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, it was funny (smiling). It was funny. When I saw him, I was laughing. I didn't expect him making the coin toss in the first match. I remember him from last year in the quarterfinal with the bees, so it has been a funny thing.
Q. What courses did you play golf?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Just Indian Wells Country Club. I couldn't because Toscana, I couldn't play yet because there's a tournament. I really wanted to play Madison, it is a tournament. So I think there is days it's going to be available so I will try to play different courses here.
Q. You like to play more than one?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes. Once I'm here, I really want to try as much as I can, and here I think every golf course is beautiful. I love to try new ones.
Q. Carlos, you and Sascha were in the running for the No. 1 ranking. How much of that comes into your mind with Jannik not here and now Sascha losing yesterday? Does it come into your mind much with this tournament, and then obviously Miami in a couple of weeks, in an effort to get back to No. 1?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it's something that it is in the mind, but I'm not really focusing on it. Because in every tournament I just focus on myself, I focus on, okay, I really want to play good tennis, I am focused on how I can be better, better player.
You know, if I'm doing the right things in every tournament, the No. 1 is gonna come after. So if I'm thinking about the No. 1, I have to do good results, I have to win tournaments. If I'm focusing on it just to recover the No. 1 I'm putting extra pressure on myself, which I don't want it. So I just keep going, focus on the things that I have to improve on myself, and we will see.
But right now, even though Jannik is not here, it's really difficult to recover the No. 1. So let's see in a couple of weeks.
