US OPEN

August 27, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/L. Tu

6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: First round, tough round. What's your thoughts how you played today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, first of all, I'm really happy to get through and get a chance to be better the next round. Obviously, I felt well on court. I think I hit the ball well. I moved well.

A few things that I have to improve if I want to, you know, keep going in the draw, but obviously I have to give credit to him as well that he played really good tennis and today surprised me a little bit in the second set.

After that, really I leave the court happy with my performance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What specifically do you think you were struggling with in the second set? What was it you were unhappy with?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: After the first set that I made just two unforced errors. The second set I made 18. So that was the huge difference for me.

He started to play better. That's obviously serving better, playing more aggressive, and not making a lot of mistakes that he did in the first set.

But talking about myself, it was from two to 18 unforced errors has been a huge difference for me.

Q. On a different subject, how would you describe your relationship and your rivalry with Novak?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, obviously we have a good rivalry. Every time that we step on the court, we played really high tennis. Every time that we faced against each other, it has been a really good and intense match.

But, yeah, we have a really good friendship off the court. We talk a lot in the lockers every time that we see each other around. With his team as well.

Once we step on the court, there are no friends here on tour, but after that, after the court, I have a really good relationship with a lot of players, and one of them is Novak.

Q. Obviously you've had success here, and it's one of the biggest stadiums in tennis. What is the adjustment like preparing to be on a court that is so much bigger than average and all of the energy you can get from the crowd?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, here in New York it's crazy. I love playing here in New York. The crowd gives you, you know, an energy that probably you don't feel in other courts. I love play here.

As I said on court, it's a huge honor. It's a privilege that I can still play on Arthur Ashe. Every time that I play matches on Ashe, I try to enjoy as much as I can because it's a unique feeling playing in this amazing court, you know, in front of a fine crowd. For me it's great.

How I adapt my game to a huge court, trying not to think about it, trying to think that this is a normal court and trying to move well and put a good tennis on there.

Q. You're a big golf fan. I saw online that you and Casper had a golf game in New York. I'm curious what got you into golf, and are there any aspects of golf that translate over to tennis?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, we could play together at golf with Casper. We talked a lot about playing one day, you know, in the previous tournaments, and here finally we could make it.

I mean, he's another level in golf. He plays unbelievable. Yeah, we talked a lot about how much -- how good is golf for us, for our mind just to disconnect, just to turn off our minds, just to be better, you know, on court, just to be better on the tournaments.

We can't think 24 hours, seven days per week on tennis. You have to have, you know, your life as well just trying to do other things and try to think about other things just to, let's say, have 100%, you know, to be better on court and to feel much better, think clearly.

So for me golf help a lot, and with Casper, we spoke about it.