Video: Carlos Alcaraz – Saturday, March 11, 2023

C. ALCARAZ/T. Kokkinakis

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Well done. You seem to have recovered from the injury you suffered in the Rio final. Can you just elaborate.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I recovered really well. Yeah, it seems today that I move really well. I felt really comfortable playing here. Well, more movement here.

So I think I’m ready and totally recovered from the injury.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Why do you think the crowd responds to the way you play, to how you play, the way you play? Seems like they get into your matches in ways they don’t even when there is Americans.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah. Well, as I said, I try to make the people enjoy watching tennis, and I think the way that I play, they love or it seems like that.

Yeah, I felt the love from the people. I think the US Open help me a lot, you know, to have a lot of people behind me, supporting me.

But I would say, yes, the way that I play, they love to watch.

Q. When you’re sort of trying to see how you’re feeling on court, what’s sort of the key to your game you’re looking for? Is it your serve, your movement? What in particular?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I’m not looking for any particular shot. You know, all that I’m looking for in every match is to enjoy, yeah, and to play relaxed.

I think that’s the most important part of my game, to stay relaxed and go for it and not to think about, you know, the mistakes, the points, you know, the rounds. Just, let’s say, live the moment, play the match, and go for it. That’s the goal in this tournament for me.

Q. There is so much talk by other players and other coaches about what specifically makes your game so complete, so dangerous. What do you feel in this moment? What are you doing the best right now? Is it a specific shot or component to your game that you feel is the most dangerous?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I would say the pressure that I put in the opponent in every shot, you know. Returning, for example, I push the opponent to a limit, trying to go for it in every shot. I would say that’s the most dangerous part of my game that I would say the opponents feel that the pressure in every shot.

You know, I move well. I would say I’m fast and reach every ball, or I try. But, yeah, the pressure I put in every shot to opponent, I would say that.

Q. When you hit that double-handed, the two-handed backhand, you fly off the ground, you’re on one foot. There seems to be a real spark in that shot. Is there something special about it? Is that a shot that you particularly like making?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Probably, probably (smiling). Yeah, I love playing that shot. Yeah, it seems that I’m relaxed hitting that shot and trying to, after that, going to the net. Yeah, something that I like of my game, yeah.

Q. Has the leg injury prevented you from playing golf while you’re here?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: No, no, no, I’m playing golf (smiling). I would say that help me a lot to enjoy here.

Q. The first time I think you only lost one point on serve. Even some of the big servers here were facing a lot of breakpoints. What’s working so well for you on serve that you’re able to cruise through your service games like that tonight?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I surprise myself today with my serve. I serve really well in the first set and in the second set as well.

Yeah, I’d say that Kokkinakis, he didn’t return very well, that he used to do. But, yeah, this is something that I’m practicing a lot. Yeah, putting, let’s say, that practices the serving today in the game is really helpful for me, coming to the next rounds.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports