WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/T. Paul

7-6, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Carlitos. What makes Tommy so tough to beat as an opponent?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, he's really nice player. He has earned it this year that he deserve to be in the top. I mean, today was really tough with the conditions as well. It was a really windy day. We got to adapt whole game. But I think we played a great match.

But this time came to my side, and I'm really happy about that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You played Tommy last week. It was a tough match. What adjustments did you make with respect to last week to today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, there is different conditions here than Toronto. I think here the ball bounce a lot, bounce more than in Toronto. I think that the court is faster.

But, you know, I tried different things. I tried to play more aggressive. Don't miss as much as I did in Toronto. You know, I tried to be more solid today.

But as I said, the conditions, it wasn't the same. Today was, you know, so much windy, as well, and I consider myself that I played really well at windy conditions, but it was a really, really close match that it could win to his side, as well.

Q. Did it make a difference having Juan Carlos Ferrero...

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Not really. Not really. But obviously it help a lot, as well.

Q. How do you find the balance between not missing and missing less than before but also playing aggressive. Two different things. How do you find that balance in your game?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it's not easy but I try. I try to be focused. You know, in the rally, try to put at least four, five, six balls, and when I have the chance to be aggressive. That is my game.

But it wasn't easy during the whole match, because it was, as I said, it was so much windy. So at the beginning I had to just put the ball in and run, that's all, and try to weigh my chances.

Yeah, I think that's my game and try to be focused and to put in every match.

Q. So you missed a few chances with Tommy serving 5-6 in the second set. How do you regroup after that and go into the third with a positive attitude?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, we have to clean, you know, that and the other things that came into my mind in that moment. Obviously I had a lot of breakpoints, and I just did 5, if I'm not wrong, and I had, like, 16, something like that, you know, so it was tough.

But after losing the second set, I know that new set is coming. I have to be positive and say positive things to me. You know, I think I started the third set very, very well, and it help me to win the match finally.

Q. During these weather delays, where are you mentally during these? How do you stay focused and active in the locker room?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I was with my team, you know, making jokes. Once the time of the match is arriving, you know, I am focused, you know, on what I have to do.

We were talking, Juan Carlos and me, that I have to start very well, very aggressive, you know, really, really focused in the warmup, in the three or four minutes that they gave us to warm up, to stay focused, stay, let's say, good.

Of course help a lot to watch videos about Rocky that I did, so it help a lot as well (smiling). But you have to realize that it can happen, and, you know, try to be as good as you can.