THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 12, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/D. Medvedev

6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, you're back in the Wimbledon final. Does it feel as good as the first time?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes, it's always good to be in a final of a Grand Slam. Obviously it's great to be back in a Wimbledon final. I'm really happy about it.

Yeah, I'm going to enjoy the final for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In terms of the Wimbledon final, do you feel added pressure because obviously you've got to finish in time to see Spain play in the Euros? Also, Luka was supporting you today, and I wonder if you could talk about your friendship with him?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: With?

Q. Luka in your box.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: First thing, yeah, on Sunday, as I said, it's going to be a really fun day for Spanish people watching my final, watching the Euros final.

I have to think in my work. Hopefully let's see if the final going to be a good hour to watch the Euros final. I will think about the match, about my match, and let's see everything what going to happen.

Yeah, Luka is a really nice person. We've met a couple of times. We don't speak too much. But yeah, we spoke a little bit few times. He wanted to come, and for sure I admire him. There's always going to be spot for him. Amazing guy, amazing athlete that I admire a lot. It's great to have him in the box supporting.

Q. This is the second year in a row you've gone from finals at the French Open to finals at Wimbledon. What have you figured out about the key from going from what Daniil was just saying here, he was saying clay to grass is the hardest thing, he can barely hit the ball when he fits steps on grass? What has allowed you to make that adaptation so seamless?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, hours, days just to be better on grass. Yeah, it's difficult - I'm not going to lie - switching from clay to grass. Everybody could watch it at Queen's that I didn't play well. I have a lot of work to do.

Yeah, I decided to stay there because of that, because I need hours on grass and practice on grass just to be better, try to feel most comfortable as I can.

But yeah, there's no secret. As I say many times, you have to put hours, you have to put work and trust that it's going to be better. That's all I thought and what I did.

Q. Do you think the match you played today, was that the best you've played at Wimbledon this year? Tennis-wise, are you where you want to be heading into the final?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly, I feel like I've played better matches this year here in Wimbledon. For example, I think I played better against Tommy Paul, for example. Obviously differing styles of play between Daniil and Tommy Paul. You have to adapt your game as better as you can to both matches. It's kind of different. I feel like I've played better ones.

Yeah, I'm coming into a final feeling great with really high level of tennis, really high level of confidence, moving well. I have confident enough to do a really good results on Sunday.

Q. Would you winning on Sunday and Spain winning at the Euros be your perfect Sunday?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Being a Spaniard, yeah. Yeah, it would be a perfect Sunday.

Q. Will you send some best wishes to the Spanish team this weekend?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I've spoke to few players, you know, since Euros started this week. Obviously these last days I've spoke with a few players. We send best of luck in every match. Obviously we send the best of luck on Sunday.

Q. At 5-3 in the third set you went for that, I guess, drop smash that missed. I'm curious just how tempting sometimes is it to go for the fun shot versus the simple shot that wins you the point.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Sorry?

Q. At 5-3 in the third set you went for that drop smash. How difficult is it sometimes to go for the simple shot versus the fun shot?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Sometimes I have to go for the effective one than other options. But, yeah, sometimes I do it because I feel so nervous, and it's kind of things that relax me because I got a smile on my face doing disasters sometimes, I'm going to say, or fun shots.

But, yeah, that moment I was feeling really calm. I was feeling that I can do, you know, this kind of shots. I got the confidence that when I'm going to hit it, these kind of shots, I think that it's going to be. Sometimes, as I say, it's disaster. But, yeah, help me a lot to relax, smile, that I'm having fun on the court.

Yeah, sometimes it's difficult to do the simple shots (smiling).

Q. I just wondered how different it is without the run this year compared to last year, and if it's harder or in any other ways different being the defending champion?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I try not to think about that I'm the defending champion. I just go into every match thinking that obviously I have chances to lose. Every match, it's a war. The opponent, they are going to put his best tennis to beat you. That's obviously.

I'm thinking that I have to be a good player on that match. I am thinking that I have to play my best tennis if I want to keep going.

Honestly, since the tournament began, I didn't think I'm the defending champion. I try to be better every day, to get better, or yeah, to play a better tennis every match that I'm playing.

It was kind of similar feelings comparing to last year.

Q. Just on the subject of the nerves that you've talked about experiencing a lot, is that something you try and work on, how to feel less nervous on the court, or do you just kind of accept it as a part of how you play tennis and try to play your best through the nerves?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, this is something that I working on. Obviously having nerves is normal, but you have to control it. Having nerves or control nerves is really good. But when you're not controlling it, it's difficult to play your best tennis or to deal with the situations. That what happened in the first set to me. I was struggling with play my service games calm. It was in a rush. I was nervous. Daniil seems like he was controlling the match.

So after that set, even if I lost the first set, I calm myself and I start to play better, to feel like I'm going to have fun. After that I'm going to play my best tennis.

So it's something that I'm working on.

Q. We don't know for sure who your next opponent will be because they're playing right now, so if I may ask you about each one individually. You're pretty familiar with Novak Djokovic. How would you describe him, and what carries over from your experience here last year?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, obviously everybody knows Djokovic. He has played multiple Grand Slam final, have won a lot of them. Last year it was a really difficult match. He put me in a really trouble, I'm going to say.

But, yeah, I know how it's going to feel playing against Djokovic. I've played few times in Grand Slams, final of Master 1000, multiple times against him. I know what I have to do. I'm sure he knows what he has to do to beat me. It's going to be a really interesting one if I'm going to play against Djokovic for sure.

But I'm ready to take that challenge and I'm ready to do it well.

Q. And Musetti?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Musetti, if he is going to play the final, he deserves to be there. He's playing a great tennis on grass, beating big players.

If he beat Novak, obviously one of the best tennis players on grass ever. So it's going to be a really difficult one as well. But he's going to face his first Grand Slam final, so it's going to be difficult for him. I know that. I'm going to try to take it as advantage for me, but I'm ready to take both challenge.