THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos, how are you feeling coming in after your great run at Queen's?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I feeling great. I have couple of practice here. Yeah, I feel great. I feel with a lot of energy. You know, I really want to play my first match here in Wimbledon.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You obviously had the great battle with Novak at Roland Garros. What is the single hardest thing you find about playing against Novak Djokovic?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, the pressure. I would say the pressure that they put to everyone. You know, not only to me, to everyone to play at their best about three hours in a Grand Slam. I'm talking about the Grand Slam.

I have to deal with that, but is something that I really want it. I hope to play a final here against him. But for me, this probably is the toughest thing facing Novak.

Q. You're No. 1 in the world now, No. 1 in the seeding. How do you deal with the mental pressure of being No. 1?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly, I don't feel too much pressure about being No. 1. I know what I have to do. For me it's to play, play my best, try to win tournaments.

If I would not do that, for me it doesn't matter. But I don't think about being No. 1 too much. I'm trying to put out all that pressure.

Q. How would you describe the way you think your game and your approach to the sport is suited for grass court play?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I always say that I try to play aggressive all the time. I think my style, it's always to play aggressive. I think that's the most important thing here on grass: to be aggressive, to try to go to the net, trying to hit big shots. I always trying in every surface.

I think that suits really well on grass.

Q. We have a Danish player named Holger Rune. You said hi to him already. In the draw you set up with him in the quarterfinals. I know you played doubles when you were 13, 14 together. Can you tell us about potentially meeting Holger and about Holger.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Obviously it's a long run to the quarterfinal, three, four rounds before that match.

It would be great facing Holger. We played since we were 12 years old. Would be great to play in a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam.

I think both playing a great level. I think he has not played too much on grass. I think Queen's was his first, second tournament on grass. I think he did really, really well.

I mean, that seems that he's a great player. So for me would be great to play against him here in quarterfinal of Wimbledon, but in every tournament as well.

Q. In the final you had some issues with your leg.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Sorry?

Q. You had some leg problems in Queen's. How is that now? Are you feeling any pain?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: No, no, I'm feeling great. I work this week to try not to feel the pain that I felt in the final of Queen's.

Right now physically I feeling great. I feeling ready to start Wimbledon.

Q. What is your earliest memory of Wimbledon? Do you remember the first Wimbledon final that you saw on TV?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Honestly, it was not too long ago. I think is going to be fun (smiling).

The last memory that I have watching a final of Wimbledon, I think it was Djokovic-Berrettini. It was not too long ago. For me, it's the clear memory that I have watching that final of Wimbledon.

Q. You've won a lot on clay. You've won a lot on hard. You won last week on grass. You haven't played on this surface anywhere near as much. How does that impact your expectations going into what you think you can achieve here at Wimbledon?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I start Queen's with no expectation to win Queen's, and I won it. For me, I feel great playing such a great level. The confidence grew up a lot.

Yeah, coming here to Wimbledon with a lot of confidence, thinking that I'm able to do a good results here. But obviously for me the main favorite is Djokovic. That's obviously.

But my expectations are high. I think I will be able to put the pressure on the other players, even Djokovic as well. But all I can say is I feel with a lot of confidence and I feel ready to do good things here.

Q. What do you think is most impressive to you when you see Djokovic play on grass?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I mean, they do the things really, really easy. He moves really well. He hits the ball really well, really clearly. He has clean shot.

It's a mix of everything. I would say he doesn't do anything wrong. He always make really easy everything. It's really tough to find some weakness on his game.