US OPEN

September 11, 2022

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/C. Ruud

6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on an amazing tournament, amazing match. Give us some thoughts on what these past two weeks were like.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I mean, it has been a great run here in US Open. Obviously is great to have the trophy here.

But I would say, I mean, I overcome myself a little bit. I mean, yeah, I played a great matches, high intensity, during the two weeks that I've never done before. I just can say that I'm really happy to move on to be No. 1 of the world, still growing. I'm so, so happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A couple of nights ago I asked you what would you tell your young self. Now how do you feel to be US Open champion and No. 1 player in the world?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it's crazy for me. I've never thought that I was going to achieve something like that at 19 years old. So everything is came so fast.

For me it's unbelievable. It's something I dream since I was a kid, since I start playing tennis. Of course, lift this trophy today is amazing for me.

Q. Juan Carlos was saying that maybe in Cincinnati you lost a little bit of joy on the court, maybe you were feeling a little bit of the pressure. How did you manage to put that behind you and play so freely and well here?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, as Juan Carlos said, in Montreal and in Cincinnati I lost the joy a little bit. As you said, I felt the pressure. I couldn't smile on court which I'm doing in every match, every tournament.

I came here just to enjoy, you know? To smile on court, to enjoy playing tennis. I love playing tennis, of course. I would say if I smile, if I have fun out there, I saw my best level, my best tennis.

I would say, well, thanks to my team, thanks to Juan Carlos, my family, everyone who supported me in that moments to came here to enjoy again. So I'm going to say thank you to all of them.

Q. Does this make you hungry for more of these or are you just too tired to think about that right now?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, right now I'm enjoying the moment. I'm enjoying have the trophy in my hands.

But, of course, I'm hungry for more. I want to be in the top for many, many weeks. Hope many years. I'm going to work hard again after this week, this amazing two weeks. I'm going to fight for have more of this (smiling).

Q. You've talked in recent days about dreaming of these things since you were a kid. When did you know you could do these things, win a Grand Slam, reach No. 1?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Honestly, since I won Miami. Since I won Miami, I thought I was able to have a Grand Slam in my hands.

But before Miami, I was thinking that I have to still growing up. I thought that I'm able to do a good results in a Grand Slam, but not a champion.

But I would say after Miami I won great matches in a row. I would say after that I thought that I'm able to win a Grand Slam.

Q. A difficult question. If you had to put in one word or one phrase what these two weeks has been like, what would that be?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: It's tough one.

I'm going to say happy. I could say that. That's because I got the trophy, because I was happy on court.

Q. Are you going to believe what Nick Kyrgios says from now on?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Honestly, I check the DM of Instagram. I saw Nick Kyrgios' message. I didn't read the whole message, but I read that he said, I told you (smiling).

Q. You've experienced amazing things in Madrid, Miami. Did you ever imagine that you'd have Arthur Ashe Stadium, 23,000 people singing in Spanish, chanting? Were you surprised or overwhelmed by this happening here in New York?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I don't surprise at all because I lived this last year. A little bit, not as much as this year. But, of course, I lived in Miami, as well. Here, so...

Of course, I'm grateful to have a lot of people supporting me in tough moments. Of course, I played really, really tough matches. I had really tough moments, as well.

They were always there supporting me, believing in me. Thanks to them, I could believe in myself as well. To think that I'm able to win these matches, to overcome these tough moments, for me, is crazy to know that I have a lot of people supporting me around the world.

Of course, I'm grateful to all of them.

Q. On social media you use a lot the brain, the heart, the huevos. What does that mean to you? Did anyone in your life tell you when you were younger that it was important to play with those things?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: These things mean a lot to me because my grandfather told me since I was a kid in every match, in every tournament. This is something that I remember in all the tough moments, in all matches, in all tournaments. I remember that. I remember my grandfather.

It's something that thanks to that I can push myself a little bit up in the tough moments. Yeah, of course is thanks to him.

Q. There's another great champion from your country, Rafa. Could you could say anything to him now? Just 21 behind.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I have one. He has 22. I'm in the row.

Q. You did a lot of serving and volleying today. I think of you so much as running corner to corner. Talk about that.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I talked that with Juan Carlos before the match. He return a little bit in the deep of the court. I would say I volley well. Yeah, is something that I try to use to my favor, you know.

I was serving well, as well. But I did serve and volley a lot because I was really nervous, as well (smiling). I thought that in the point, in the baseline, he had more chances to win the point than myself. That's why I use more the net.

Q. You built up a very special relationship with the New York crowd last year and this year. What does that relationship mean to you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: It means a lot to me to have a lot of people supporting me here in New York. What I lived last year was incredible. But this year was unscriptable.

As I said, there were a lot of tough moments for me, tough matches. They were there all the time believing in me, supporting me. I finish the match against Jannik at almost 3 a.m. and they were there supporting me until the last ball.

I could say this trophy is for them, as well. It's thanks to them. Maybe if I hadn't them supporting me all the time, I couldn't have this trophy today.