MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 1, 2022

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. You played today the doubles game. Has it helped you a little bit to step into tournaments, especially preparation towards Tuesday's match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes, yes, of course. It's not an easy game to play here in Manolo Santana court. A lot of people I have to pay attention to. There is shadows, there is sun, you have all the people behind you, and there are details that you have to be catching. The doubles always helps you with these details because these kind of courts is always complicated to play.

Q. I would like to know what was the idea playing the doubles? Whose idea was it to play the doubles with Marc?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: It was his idea. He texted me and he said he was going to play his last tournament here in Madrid. He was real excited to play this doubles with me.

Me, without any doubt, I said that I was delighted to play with him. I was very happy to do it. Of course I had to think about it because of the matches on clay, because I'm a singles player, but as soon as the trainers, managers gave me the green light, I went forward to it and it's always special to play with a person like him.

Q. I wanted to ask you of the people here in Madrid, this was your first time here in this court in a doubles match, but we have seen a lot of people cheering there. Have you felt already the support of the crowd?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes, for sure. From the first point till the last one, it's been spectacular. Also, out there in the training, they have been cheering me up since day No. 1 that I'm here. I have felt the love of the people, and I feel very fortunate to be able to live these kind of moments.

Q. Your second great year here at Mutua Madrid Open. A lot of things have changed, only one year, even the expectation that people put on your shoulders. What do you think has changed most on you as a player in the last year?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think that as a player I have grown a lot, both as a player and as a person. Last year I came here to live these kind of matches, to be able to gain some experience, to be able to level myself against the best players in the world. Now I consider myself one of them.

I am ranked the 9th, and I think that I am more mature player. Now I face the matches in a different way. I think that I can win any kind of matches, whereas last year perhaps I had some more doubts. Yeah, last year was smaller in every single aspect.

Q. After all that is happening, how you were able to win that tournament, I want to know what feeling do you have in this tournament? Do you think that you have capacity to win it, even though you will have to face Rafa maybe?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, well, every single tournament that I step into, I think that I am able to win it. I think I have the level and the physical state to win it. You know, this is tennis and anything can happen.

I feel ready. I feel with the confidence, and I think that I can do a really good result, can achieve a really good result here in Madrid.

Q. Last year when you were 18 here in Madrid, you said that your match against Rafa was the best present that you could make. This year you will turn 19. What are you expecting for this week?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, my birthday is on Thursday. I have a match on Tuesday. Hopefully I will be able to play on my birthday.

I wish for that. It's a special day, where last year I was able to play against Rafa, and this year I wish I will be able to play the match on my birthday on Thursday. Hopefully I will be able to win this year.

Q. Have you had some time to look at the draw? You know you could play against Rafa in quarterfinals a year later. Have you been able to look at the draw?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, yeah, I have checked the draw, but, you know, it's a Masters 1000. Here each match is very complicated. Possibly in the first round it can be a final of an ATP. You have to look at it match by match, and I wish that I will be able to face Rafa a year later.

Q. Garbine and Paula have said that they have felt a lot the pressure of playing at home. I want to know how do you handle that pressure? Because the feeling that we have in your case it's the opposite, that it just lifts you up, being able to play here in front of your people.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, you know, it's not easy to play at home. There is a lot of expectation, a lot of people that want to see you doing it well. But I'm a player that turns things around. As you said, you know, I take that as a motivation, as an extra punch, extra help.

As I always said, in a tennis match, things can turn around. There can be very brilliant moments, and what I realize is playing here at home with your people, when you face those hard moments, you are going to face them in every single match. It just lifts you up to be able to get out and turn it around in those hard moments.

Thanks to the Spanish audience, to my home crowd, it helps you to turn around those hard moments very quickly.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. How are you feeling ahead of competing here in Madrid this week?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm really happy with competing here in Madrid. This is special to play in Spain against your home crowd, so I'm really excited to play on Tuesday.

Q. Obviously expectation is quite high now on you because you have been so great, to put it bluntly. How do you cope with that pressure?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I try not to think about the pressure. I am trying to think about me just playing my best on court, and, yeah, trying to make the crowd behind me, to trying to be in a great time, you know, on court with the crowd pushing me up.

I'm not thinking about the expectation right now.

Q. You have had a great season. What do you think have been the key factors behind the brilliant form? Is it your fitness or mentality?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I would say the fitness, fitness part is truly important, but definitely the most important thing is mental. Mental game is really important. I think I grew up so much in that part, and that's why I'm 9 in the world right now. That's why I'm playing a good level and being able to win great matches. I think that's the most important thing.

Q. I'm going to ask you about today's match. What's your relationship, your friendship with Marc Lopez? How come you team up together for his last tournament? Also, how did you feel when you were losing 6-4, 3-0 and you get on to win the match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I know Marc a long time ago. For me, it's pretty great to play with him, and I'm so proud to share the court with him and learn from him. I think it was a great match. We made a lot of laughs out there, and I enjoy every single second on court.

Well, we got the win, but of course we enjoy, both of us.