CINCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 20, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Queens Club

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Rinderknech

4-6, 7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Carlos, easy afternoon? You didn't have to do too much today (smiling)? That was very tight, obviously. Over two-and-a-half hours. What are your thoughts? What was going through your mind during that match, because it was so close?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, it was my first match on grass. It was difficult at the beginning, you know, to play again to competition. You know, grass is never easy, the first matches.

But obviously I had to, you know, stay there. I was thinking during the match it was going to be better, to feel better on court. And yeah, during the match I was thinking that I need hours on court. I need, you know, play as much as I can (smiling).

So for me, it was great to have this tough match. You know, I'm saying that after winning. If I had lost, it was totally different. But, you know, it was really good for me, coming in.

Q. You mentioned that today you were quite happy for a slightly longer match, but you're coming off the back of Roland Garros, very physical semifinal match there. Today was longer than two-and-a-half hours. Tennis matches are getting longer and longer. How do you feel about the physical side? Do you relish those longer, tougher matches?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm going to say I feel ready to play these kind of matches. What happened in Roland Garros, because I was playing a semifinal of a Grand Slam against Novak, you know, but obviously it's totally different playing on clay than on grass.

On grass there is not long rallies. It's more about serve/volley. Even if I'm playing against Rinderknech, has a big serve and big volley, he was hitting more of the time serve and volley. So it's not long rallies. Physically is not as tough as Roland Garros, let's say, as tough as playing on clay.

So I'm feeling great physically. Of course playing these kind of matches, you know, it's better, you know, to feel comfortable play on grass.

Q. What about best-of-five at Grand Slams, do you relish that? Some would prefer maybe best-of-three, but do you like the longer format?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, I like playing Grand Slams, playing the best-of-five. As I said before, I like the battles. You know, I like to fight for long time on court, you know, playing such amazing matches on Grand Slams.

You know, I have to think, to feel the difference between, you know, other tournaments and Grand Slam. I have to adapt that.

But I like, you know, the matches the best-of-five.

Q. This is just your third tournament on grass. You have played obviously loads on clay, loads on hard. Are your expectations slightly different because you haven't played as much on this surface compared to clay and hard?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly my expectation in this tournament are not too high (smiling). You know, I have played two tournaments on grass in my career. I'm not going to count the juniors obviously. It was two Wimbledons. I have played just five or six matches in my career. This is my seventh match.

So I have not played too much on grass. So I have to, you know, play on grass, put hours on grass on my back and have more experience than that.

Right now my expectations about winning this tournament are not too high. I'm just focused on, you know, play on grass, have hours, and getting ready into Wimbledon and of course have experience on grass.

Q. You have spoken a lot about the movement and you won't play the slice, you've got to really think about all your shots when it comes to grass. But do you like it? Do you like playing on grass? I mean, I'm not talking about the fact that you have got to think about your movement, et cetera, but is it something that you enjoy, a surface you enjoy to play on?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah. I enjoying playing on grass. I mean, playing on grass is beautiful, and I would say the game of everybody become, you know, more beautiful, I would say.

Serve and volley, return/volley, you know, slices. I would say Federer put elegance into play on grass. I am talking for me.

Yeah, I like to hit, you know, good shots, go to the net hitting, you know, dropshots, volley and dropshots. I would say that's beautiful for me. That's why I'm enjoying play on grass.