ROLAND GARROS

June 9, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Zverev

6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Carlitos. How can you compare the feeling of winning your first Roland Garros to what you felt when you won your first Grand Slam at the US Open or last year winning your first Wimbledon?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it's different tournaments, different aura, but I'm going to say same feeling. I mean, winning a Grand Slam is always special. Winning your first in every Grand Slam is always super special.

But in Roland Garros, knowing all the Spanish players who have won this tournament and be able to put my name on that amazing list is something unbelievable. Something that I dream about being in this position since I was started playing tennis, since I was five, six years old.

So it's a great, great feeling.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congratulations, Carlos. Can you tell us about the tattoo that you're going to get? Where is it going to be, when are you going to get it, and why have you done it after every slam that you've won?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: That's a good first question (smiling).

I have to find the time. But I will do it for sure. It's going to be in the left ankle. You know, Wimbledon was the right one. Here is going to be the left one, I think so with the Tour Eiffel with the date of today. And, yeah, it's something that I'm gonna do it. I don't know if next weeks or gonna take a month or two months, but I will do it (smiling).

Q. Three Grand Slams, three different surfaces. Can you just explain how, whether it was when you were growing up developing your game, you developed a game that was able to translate across all the surfaces so well?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly, I grew up playing on clay court, but the most tournament of the tour it is on hard court. So I had to practice more on hard court, doing the preseason on hard court. So I started to feel more comfortable moving, hitting my shots playing on hard court, but I think my game suits very well on every surface because I practice it.

You know, with dropshots, my volley, I wanted to develop my style being aggressive all the time. You know, of course practicing the defense and all that stuff, but the main, my main goal is being aggressive as much as I can.

So I think that's on grass is pretty well or I have to do it on grass almost every time, but in all surfaces, I think it's a pretty good thing, as well.

Q. Congratulations. How do you explain, you come here, you say you're not well prepared, you couldn't play three tournaments. You play and every time you go to the fourth and fifth set, you lose, like, today, three games. You lost three games. In all five sets you played, you won 11 out of 12. The only one you lost 7-6 in the fifth. How do you explain it? Where do you find all these energies when you arrive at the final, you know, games of a match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I know that when I'm playing a fifth set you have to give everything and you have to give your heart. I mean, in those moments, it's where the top players give their best tennis.

So as I said many times, I wanted to be one of the best tennis players in the world, so I have to give an extra in those moments in the fifth set, I have to show the opponent that I am fresh, I'm like we are playing the first game of the match.

So I think that works pretty well if the opponents see me that I'm moving well, I'm hitting the good shots, I'm finding good solutions. And of course, the mental strength play a great part on that moment.

So I think that's why I have good success in the fifth sets, and of course you have to take that in the fifth set if you want to win the slams.

Q. Congratulations, Carlos. I wanted to ask you about your playing style. You go for high-risk shots. Your team, your coach, do they also want you to go or do they want you to be a little more defensive at important times in the match? Are they telling you the same thing? Do you listen to them or do you do whatever you feel like doing?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Sometimes I do whatever they told me, and sometimes is depend on my feelings in that moment (smiling).

But I'm trying on that moment just to be aggressive, just to go for it, play my style, go to the net, dropshots, hitting big shots. Because if I lose it, if I miss it, my feelings are really good. It doesn't matter if I lose, it doesn't matter if I miss it, because when I go for it, the feelings are much better if I go defensive and lose it anyway.

So in those moments my team are telling me to go for it and myself, as well.

Q. You had a medical timeout, fourth set, I think. What was the issue with your leg? How did you get yourself through it? What were you doing in order to sort of get the strength that you knew you were going to need in order to last? Was it something you had felt before or did it just suddenly come on?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it's something that I started to feel in the semifinal. Of course playing five sets, really demanding one against Jannik on clay, after that match, you're gonna feel something. If not, you're not human. So that's obvious.

I started the match without any pain, without feeling it. Of course I was taking care about it with taping on that. And at the end of the third set, beginning of the fourth one, I started to feel a little bit, so that's why I called the physio just for precaution.

Then I could move well. I mean, I started to feeling better and better. Then the physio came a few times more because it was cramping, having difficult physical problems or difficult moments.

But anyway, I could deal it with the best way possible and could finish the match with good feelings.

Q. You talked on court about the difficult preparation and the injuries. Was there anything you lacked during this tournament, despite the fact that you were able to win it? Why do you feel you have been able to perform so well despite the difficult preparation? There are a lot of players who probably wouldn't be able to perform at such a high level after missing so much of the clay season.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, as I said before the tournament, I consider myself a player who doesn't need too many matches on my back just to get at 100%. I had a really good week here in Paris, practicing with good players. I felt really well playing sets, moving, hitting my shots before the tournament began. Obviously every match that I have played, I was getting better and better.

As I said, all the work that I put every day, you know, before coming here, and every day here has been really good work with my team that help me to get 100% physically, mentally, and hitting good shots and putting a good level on the court.

So I think that's why I performance at my best at the end of the tournament. And of course, I believed in myself in every round, every day, until the last ball of today's match.

Q. First, a very short but incredibly important and serious question: Where is the US Open tattoo?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: The US Open tattoo is over here. This is the date (showing on back of elbow).

Q. My other question is: You've already done a lot in tennis, records, youngest No. 1, now youngest with three different Grand Slam titles and other stuff too. I'm just wondering, with everything you have done so far, what are you the most proud of?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: That's a difficult question. I mean, obviously winning the US Open, when I reached for the first time the No. 1, something that I dream since I started playing tennis, getting my first Grand Slam. So it was pretty special.

But honestly, the way that I won Wimbledon, beating Novak Djokovic in five sets, has been a great achievement for me. Right now lifting the Roland Garros trophy, knowing everything that I have been through the last month with the injuries and all that stuff, I don't know.

Probably this one. Probably this one is the moment that I'm really proud about myself, because everything that I have done the last month just to be ready for this tournament with my team, a lot of talks with them. You know, if I have to practice, if I can't practice or discuss with them, has been really difficult for me, honestly.

So I'm going to say this one is the most that I am proud about myself.

Q. You won three Grand Slams now. You are the youngest player, you already know what you did so far. Tell me, do you dream about those 24 Grand Slams that Novak has? Do you believe that you can get them since you have the age, you have everything you need?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I don't know (smiling). I hope so.

Well, I talked to Juan Carlos a few days ago that -- well, it was just yesterday, actually. Before facing this final, he told me, you're going to fight for your third Grand Slam title, with everything you have been through, and you know the difficult part of winning a Grand Slam, and Djoko has 24. So it is unbelievable.

Right now I can't think about it. I just want to keep going, and let's see how many Grand Slam I'm gonna take at the end of my career. Hopefully reach the 24, but right now I'm going to enjoy my third one, and let's see in the future (smiling).