MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 3, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/K. Khachanov

6-4, 7-5

(Press conference conducted in Spanish first.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Last year you won Barcelona and Madrid. Didn't play Rome. This year you have won Barcelona, you're still here in Madrid. Is the plan to play Rome?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah. Yeah, my plan is going to Rome. Well, it depends here and how I finish this tournament, but yeah, I would love to play in Rome. This is a tournament that I really want to play. Right now this is my plan.

Q. The dropshot, you have been asked hundreds of times about this shot, but I have been watching tennis for 40 years. I have never seen anybody do it as successfully as you. 98, 99%, you never hit the net. What's the trick? What's the secret?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I don't know (smiling). Well, this is something that I did a lot when I was young. I feel really comfortable on that shot. Yeah, is a really good weapon for me.

Honestly, I just feel it, the dropshot. Yeah, good percent, it's good for me, but in the practice I try not to do a lot of dropshots. I just feel it on the match.

Q. You will be 20 years old on Friday. You already won a Grand Slam. What are your dreams now in tennis? What do you want to do?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, my dream on tennis right now is to become one of the best tennis players in history. I know that this is a big dream, probably is too big (smiling). But in this world, you have to dream big and you have to think big, as well.

I want to be part of the, you know, the best tennis players in history and I will work for it.