ROLAND GARROS

June 9, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/C. Alcaraz

6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Carlitos, bad luck. Can you tell us what happened at the beginning of the third set.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, it's been really tough for me, honestly. I disappointed myself honestly, you know, and in a match like this, coming to this match with great feeling, feeling great physically, and, yeah, cramping at the end of the second set, beginning of the third set, it was really disappointing.

But, you know, these kind of things happen, and I have to deal with that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Can you just describe the exact feeling you had, and was it across your body, not just your leg? How painful was it?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I would say the first set and the second set was really, really intense, you know, and I started to cramp, you know, in my arm. At the beginning of the third set I started to cramp every part of my body, not only the legs. The arms, as well, every part of the legs.

Well, it was really tough for me to move at the third set, and in the fourth set let's say I had a little chance, but it was really tough. You know, my full body start to cramp.

Q. Do you know why it happened? Do you think it was the tension maybe of playing such a big match, or was it, I don't know, did you not get your food and drink right? Did you have any idea why it happened then?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, the tension. The tension of the match. You know, I started match really nervous. The tension of, you know, the first set, the second set, it was really intense two sets, as well.

Really good rallies, tough rallies, you know, dropshots, sprints, rallies, you know. It's a combination of a lot of things. But, you know, the main thing, it was the tension that I had all the two first sets.

Q. Do you think that it's something you can learn from? Was it more tense this match than any other one you have played?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, you have to learn from these kind of matches, you know, these kind of experience. I would say I take lesson from that match, you know. I will try to not happen again, you know, in these matches.

You know, I have to take lesson from that experience and, you know, it's something that I have to deal, and of course I will have more experience in the next match.

Q. Have you ever had any cramping issues before? If not, how big a surprise is this to you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I had cramps, you know, in matches, but I would say not in this level.

You know, I can give you an example. You know, against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021 in the US Open, I got cramps, but not this magnitude. I learned from that match, from that experience, and I will do the same in this match.

Q. Carlos, you played those three five-set matches at the US Open and won all of them and they were some very, very late finishes. Did today's cramping have a lot to do, you said, with the tension but also with the fact that it was Novak Djokovic on the other side of the net?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Probably (smiling). Probably. Is not easy to play against Novak, you know. Of course a legend of our sport. If someone says that he get into the court with no nerves playing against Novak, he lies.

Of course playing a semifinal of a Grand Slam, you have a lot of nerves, but even more with, you know, facing Novak.

That's the truth. Yeah, next time that I'm gonna face Novak, I hope to be different, but the nerves will be there.

Q. Did you think about retiring? Or when you continued, did you think you had a single chance at some point? Why did you continue with this state?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I would have felt sorry about myself if I would retire, you know. I'm in a semifinal of a Grand Slam. If I retired from that, it could have been really tough for me.

Of course in the third set, no, but thinking about the fourth set, I thought that probably I have 1% chance, you know, to come back. It was really tough. But, you know, in the fourth set I had breakpoints in the first game (smiling). But, you know, after that, I just continue playing, you know. In my mind, in the fourth set, it was not the retirement.

Q. Bad luck today. Is that the most stressed and tense you have ever felt on a tennis court?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Probably (smiling). Probably. Has been really tough for me today. I have never felt something like I did today.

You know, I have never felt that tension that I did in that match.

Q. Carlos, he obviously has a lot of experience. He walked off court for sort of six, seven minutes after the second set and kept you waiting to resume. Do you think possibly with more experience you perhaps should have left the court as well after such an epic second set?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: After the second set? Well, I don't know. I mean, he has been in that situation multiple times, more than me. So I think he has dealt better in these situations than me.

You know, I'm not gonna say that the wait after the second set, you know, I did cramping because of that. I mean, I don't know. I would say he take the toilet break, he had his reasons. But I'm not gonna say anything more than that in that situation.