ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 13, 2022

Sebastian Korda

Press Conference

S. KORDA/C. Alcaraz

7-6, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tough conditions out there. Can you talk about the conditions and the win over such a great player today?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah. It was very tricky. Up top it would go one way, and then it would kind of swoop down and tornado while you were playing. You never knew what you were going to get.

Just kept believing in myself, kept trying to go at it. Yeah, happy with the way I played in the end.

Q. I was interested in ahead of these matches, do you get an opportunity to talk with your father perhaps about the experiences, to share some insights, consult with him? It's an opportunity, a rare one on the tour that you have, right?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, I've got a lot of great people in my corner. I've got my dad and my coach, Dean Goldfine, Andre Agassi.

I have got a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience in my corner. So it's a lot of great talks, and I try and take in as much as possible, yeah, try to use it the way I can.

Q. What do you have to say about him? He's had an incredible season so far. What do you see in him that's so special?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I mean, there is a lot. He can do it all. He's quick, he's got a great serve, great forehand, great backhand, volleys well. There is nothing he can't really do. He's very mentally strong, physical.

So it's a very tough opponent, and he's going to be very tough to beat in the next couple of years. Hopefully we play a lot of good tennis against each other.

Q. Do you see yourself as perhaps a bit unorthodox for American players as a clay court specialist perhaps down the line in your career, especially after such a win?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, I'm very comfortable on the clay. I kind of grew up on the clay, the green clay in Florida, a little bit of red clay when we would travel to Prague, Czech Republic.

I know how to play on clay. I move pretty well on clay. I'm very comfortable on it. I'd like to think I can play on all surfaces. Definitely my game is more of a faster surface, but I do enjoy playing on clay. I think I can have some good results on clay.

Q. Coming from the hard courts to the clay, did it in some way benefit you to not have stayed too long in Miami and Indian Wells?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: No (smiling). I mean, I'd much rather do well in a tournament, but, you know, I had a great kind of little training block with my fitness trainer, my coach, and my physio. So I was well prepared for clay and happy with the way I'm kind of moving on it, playing on it, and just enjoying it.

Q. Did you go home? When did you come here?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: No, I flew straightaway to Europe. I was here in Nice and just practicing as much as I could.