ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

November 3, 2022

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/G. Dimitrov

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Well done again. Were you happier today with your level than the first match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I would say I played better. I'm more used to play here in this court, in these conditions. I'm happy with the performance, and of course really happy with be able to play my first quarterfinal here in Bercy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You're still so young, and the youngest man ever to get the No. 1 ranking. Nobody in here is going to be a World No. 1. Are you able to explain what it feels like to be the best in the world, the No. 1 player in the world?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Of course it's a great feeling, you know, to let's say in a little part to feel the best player in the world (smiling).

On this, it's a number. For me, it's just a number. It's just a ranking. Obviously it doesn't mean that you're gonna win every match, every tournament. You know, every players can beat you. I see like that, you know, right now.

I just feel I can lose every match, and that's the most important thing. You have to play your best match in every match or at least you have to try to play the best level in every match. That's what I see in that moment right now.

Q. Congratulations for an incredible season. Some players would not want this season to end. You want it to happen forever. But it's almost over. So is there something that you're actually looking forward to happening after this season, even such a good season when it ends? Are you waiting for something to happen after the season?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm lucky to end the year as No. 1. That's all I can say. I mean, this is almost always you can say, as you said, but, I mean, it has been a great year for me.

But I'm gonna end the year like the previous ones. You know, when I finish the last tournaments, I'm going to have holidays, and then really focus to have a good preseason, to focus on the start next season as great as I can, starting in Australia with all the focus, you know, on Australian Open.

I mean, it's gonna be a normal end of year for me.

Q. When you were growing up, what did you have to give up, sacrifice, to reach what you have achieved? Do you regret or feel disappointed that you had to sacrifice anything?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I could say I couldn't hang out with my friends as much as I wanted. You know, sometimes your friends tell me to go out, I mean, so late or I had to come back home earlier than my friends probably some the reasons that I gave up.

I had the lucky to didn't sacrifice some things at all. You know, I enjoy my time with my friends, but, I mean, I had to train really hard, I mean, with my team, my people, you know. But I would say I didn't sacrifice some things at all.