WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/H. Hurkacz

2-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Carlitos, another close one. What were your thoughts match point down in the second set?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, it was really, really tough. I knew before the match that playing against Hubie is always tough. But we fought until the last ball.

That match ball down, I was thinking about try to save that match ball, keep it up, in that moment just to stay there all the time. I knew that I was going to have my chances if I saved that match ball. I did. I took the opportunity. I really, really happy to get the win today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I saw Juan Carlos indicating he was serving in a different direction than you were thinking. Wondering how difficult was it to return his serve and read his serve? How did you figure it out?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, was really tough to read his serve. In every tough moment, almost 40 all, Juan-Ca told me the direction, and it was the opposite. We were laughing about it during the match because it was always the opposite side that we were thinking about (smiling). It was really, really tough. I had almost seven or eight break points, and I couldn't play the point with his serve.

Honestly, I didn't read it in the whole match. I was trying to put the return in. Doesn't matter how. Yeah, probably he is one of the best serves in the tour, without a doubt.

Q. You spent more than 10 hours on the court since the beginning of the week. How do you feel?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I feel good. Probably the people can think that I going to be tired in the final. But I feel good. It doesn't matter if I play in third set, long matches, I'm recovering really, really well with my physio, with my team.

I feel like I'm going to play the first match of the tournament. I feel great (smiling).

Q. At this point we don't know who you're going to play in the final, but it could be Novak. In Wimbledon Novak described you as a player who has some qualities of the big three: Roger, Rafa and Novak. How do you feel about his compliment? Do you agree with his comment?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it's great, someone like Novak says these things about you. Someone who played against the best Rafa, against the best Roger, and says that I have some things about them, is great for me.

But I'm not totally agree 'cause I always say that I'm full Carlos Alcaraz. I didn't put his styles like Rafa, like Roger, like Novak. I just try to follow my own path, try to create Carlos Alcaraz. I always say that. I'm believing that I'm not the characteristics about anyone but Carlos Alcaraz.

Q. You could play Novak or Sascha tomorrow. Do you have a preference? What do you do tonight to prepare?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Honestly, I don't mind against I'm going to play tomorrow. Obviously both of them are playing a great tennis. Both of them are really tough players. I'm going to watch the rest of the match and see who I going to play tomorrow.

If it is Sascha, it's going to be a really good match. Also against Novak.

Q. You've had so many great battles already in your career. This one maybe was a little bit different. The Cincinnati crowd is still getting to know you. How did you take the energy from them? Do you feel like you're learning things about yourself when you save a match point like that?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, this only my third tournament here in Cincinnati. As I said, it seems that I've been playing here for a long time. It's crazy the support that I receive from the crowd here in Cincinnati. I always said that is necessary to have this support to have comebacks like I did today.

They push me up in certain ways when I was down or when I was in trouble in the match. Probably I get the win thanks to them, as well.

Yeah, it's great to have them behind me.

Q. This is the second week in a row you've come back from a set down against Hubie. What makes it so hard to play against him?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, he has a great tennis, really aggressive one. I remember in Toronto I didn't start well the match. He broke me in the first game 'cause I had a lot of mistakes. It cost me the set. I was try to recovery in Toronto.

Today it was different. I thought of the first set that I was playing well, but probably he did a perfect set. I just thought that I wanted to stay there, I wanted to take the opportunities that he bring to me.

Obviously he's one of the best players on tour right now. Yeah, he has his own way.