THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/F. Tiafoe

5-7, 62, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, feeling pretty happy all around, I imagine today.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, yeah, really happy obviously about my winning today. I think I played a really great tennis. It was a very close match. Obviously Frances really big opponent, but really happy to get the win at the end.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In this kind of match, how will you describe the power of the mind?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think for me was a lot of up and downs in the match. Was a break up in the first set, then few mistakes in my game serves. Yeah, after that, played a really good second set. But then in the third set again, few mistakes in my game with serves.

It was really important to stay there in the fourth set, for example, just to keep fighting, to keep trying to play better in the fourth set just to give myself the chance to be alive in the match.

But yeah, I had to be better in that side, yeah, try to not make as much up and downs as I did today.

Q. Was it Frances making you have those ups and downs or was this just you having trouble finding your rhythm? Do you think in order to go farther in the tournament, to get to next weekend, you need to get better than you were today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, the up and downs is not about the opponent. It's just about yourself. Obviously if the opponent is playing a great tennis and doesn't let you to get the good rhythm, is even tougher.

But if I'm not feeling well or if I'm not playing at a high level, you have to stay strong mentally just to keep fighting and try to get the good rhythm. Once you get it, try not to be down again.

That's what I have to improve. I played a really good second set. In the third set, as I said, some games that I didn't play my best. I just got down my level a little bit. I had just not to let that happen, and stay in let's say a high level of intensity, high level of focus during the whole match.

Q. You said the other day you really like five-set tennis. You've won another one. What makes five-setters so special for you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: That I am feeling great physically (smiling). I don't know. In the fifth set, I think I increase my tennis, my level. Yeah, feeling great physically help you a lot to, let's say, play more calm than the opponent. Feeling much better than the opponent physically, mentally. I know that the other guy has to play at a really high level of tennis intensity in the five set if he wants to beat me.

That help me a lot to deal much better with those difficult situations in the fifth set, let's say.

I'm playing with the stats that I just lost one match in the fifth set. That's an advantage for me. That's why that I'm feeling really, really well physically, and in those situations I play at my high level.

Q. A couple of quick football questions. Did you ask to play early today so you'd be done in time for the football?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I didn't ask because Wimbledon is Wimbledon (smiling). But I was really happy when I saw that I was playing first match.

Q. The Jude Bellingham celebration you did today, was that deliberate?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: No. I have huge respect for him. We're in London. He is England. So that's why. I told him that the big win deserves a big celebration (smiling).

Q. About your success in fifth sets, was there a point where you realized or thought to yourself that you're going to have this advantage over your opponents because you are good in fifth sets? Was there a match that made you think that, something maybe Juan Carlos said to you? Did you just realize that you're doing pretty well and you're going to feel confident any time you go into a fifth set?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I realize that I a good players in the fifth set. Yeah, as I said, I push the opponent just to be at his 100% physically and mentally, and play at his 100% in the tennis game.

Sometimes for the other player is difficult to keep at this kind of intensity, this kind of level during the fifth set.

In my head I'm thinking that I'm good at it, and they have to believe that I going to win, I going to play my best tennis. In every match that I've played fifth sets, I played really close or my best tennis. I realized that I'm good at it and I believe that I'm going to win. I think that's the good point for me.

Q. Do you remember when you first had that belief?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I always believed in myself in the fifth set. But honestly, when I had 5-1, 6-1, I started to think, Okay, in the fifth sets I'm going to be better than the other guy.

I don't have a turn point about it. I don't know, when I won few of them.

Q. What do you think Frances was doing through the first three into the fourth set that was working effectively for him?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: He's really good ball-striker I think. With his serves, he was pretty good serves. He didn't let me to get into the match. Yeah, I broke his serves twice in the second set, but after that I had not too much opportunities to break his serves. It was difficult sometimes to play with it.

But yeah, I think he moves pretty well. He return well, as well. I couldn't dominate the match. I think most of the time he was in the position to play aggressive, playing his style, his game. He didn't let me to decide or to put my own game on the match.

Q. You talked about your ups and downs. A lot of people say it's probably the best progression you can have in tennis to have less downs and more ups. Do you agree with that? If yes, how can you work on that, to have more ups than down and more consistency?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I learned a lot. I grew up in terms of the up and downs or lose the focus in the match. Right now I think there are not too much up and downs in the match. I stay in a really good level of intensity or focus during the whole match.

Sometimes there are matches that I got down a little bit or I struggling to get better or to get the rhythm in the match.

Every match or every tournament that I'm playing, it's going less, those matches or those situations. But I have to be focused in every match and realize that it's happening during the match, try to improve it as soon as possible during the match.