LAVER CUP

September 21, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz

Team Europe

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/B. Shelton

6-4, 6-4

Team Europe - 4

Team World - 4

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Carlos. Congratulations on the win earlier today and leveling the competition at four points for all. How hard was it beating Ben earlier at this level?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it was really, really tough. Ben, I think, at really high level in these kind of competitions, I mean, playing for his team, for his partner. I mean, he increases his level even better.

So it was really solid match, I guess, from both sides. Really happy that at the beginning of the match I tried to put as much return as I could and playing long rallies.

I think I did a pretty solid match from the return, and I think it was really important for me. Yeah, really happy with the level in the difficult moments, saving a few breakpoints down with really good shots, really good points. Really happy to give two points to Team Europe.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You talked about the returns. He said that when you played in Canada last year you were chipping your returns, whereas today you hit them low. Was that a deliberate strategy? Do you think that's what was the big difference in the match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, obviously, I mean, playing against him, I always hit good returns, but you never know which serve he's gonna do it. You know, probably he's gonna hit a 230 serve or 190 slices or kick. You know, it's really unpredictable serve. I mean, he hit a second serve 220.

So his serve is crazy. I try to be as much focused as I can in the return games. As I said, try to put as much I can on playing the long rallies.

I knew that I was going to have my chances if I stay there. He missed a couple of first serve and then the second serve I stayed there and tried to be as much aggressive as I can just to try to put myself in attack position. So that's what I tried to do in the whole match, and yeah, today was a really good point for my side.

Q. Carlos, I just wanted to ask, I know you played doubles yesterday, but today for your singles match, how did it feel having guys who normally are rivals most of the year cheering you on? What kind of energy did they give you? Did you find it strange or fun, or how did you find it?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: It was fun (smiling). Honestly it was a great feeling having them supporting me behind. Being as a coach, sometimes it was great. Having Bjorn in the bench as well, it is a great support for me.

Normally I watch my team, you know, after every point. Here I'm looking at my partners and Bjorn more than my team (smiling). So it is a different feeling. For me was unique experience that I enjoyed a lot, you know, having, for example, Grigor all the time, you know, coaching me, saying me the tactics what I have to do during the match. It was crazy. And having, yeah, Stefanos and all the players behind me in all the, you know, break times, it was great for me.

So I'm gonna take this experience for a long time, and I honestly learn a lot from them, as well.

Q. You and Jannik Sinner have won all the Grand Slam titles this year, and I feel like people already start talking about a new potential era of dominance after the Big 3 with the two of you. Do you personally also have the feeling that the rivalry between you two could develop into something similar to what Roger and Rafa had, for example?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, a lot of people talk about it. I like hearing it, I'm not gonna lie. I hope so. I hope that we our rivalry is going to be or almost that the Big 3 had during the whole career.

I don't know. This is the first year that we shared all the Grand Slams. Hopefully gonna keep going like that, sharing great moments, fighting for the great tournaments, the Grand Slams, Masters 1000, Masters.

So let's see how it's gonna be in the future the next few years. If we're gonna stay like that at this level, I think we are gonna build great rivalry, relationship off the court, as well.

Hopefully having him here on the tour for a long time, because he push me to be a better player every day. He push me to practicing 100% just to try to beat him, you know, in the next matches. So it's great, hopefully having that great rivalry that the Big 3 had in their career.

Q. You're 21 years old. You're, let's say, Hall of Famer already. Are you sometimes scared that you lose motivation? How you find yourself all the time motivated or with what kind of people you surround yourself that you keep yourself on the high level? Because competition is high, but you're already did a lot.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly it is difficult. I mean, sometimes I didn't feel motivated at all. It is a difficult moment. As I said many times, you know, the calendar is so tight, a lot of tournaments, no days off or not as much days off as I want.

Sometimes I really want to take some days for myself that I can't because I have to practice, I have to travel, I have to, you know, the jet lag sometimes when you're traveling around the world. So sometimes you don't want to go to tournaments, I'm not gonna lie. I have been feeling this, you know, this feeling few times already that I don't want to go to that tournament because I want to stay at home with my family or my friends, and I have to find the motivation just to go and put the right tennis or the right face in the practice and on the matches.

I'm business guy. I always want to win every match that I go, but as I said many, many times, my best tennis show up when I'm smiling and enjoying on court, and sometimes difficult to find that rhythm or that good feeling. So, I mean, I want to be focused on my team and my family and try to play my best in every practice, in every match, to be in the top of the ranking. I think it is the best options to keep motivated.

Q. You said about the schedule. That's too much tournaments. Are you players talking, like, all together to maybe stand up and say, that's enough, maybe two-weeks Masters Series probably is not good for you? I think you're playing too much, because they say you have more rest, but this is not the rest, to be honest.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly, there are a lot of really good players on tour, and obviously each player has their own feeling. So a lot of players wants to play more or even more. A lot of players feel like, okay, it is a good calendar. And a lot of players says that it's really tight and a lot of tournaments during the whole year.

I'm the kind of player who think there is a lot of tournaments during the year, mandatory tournaments, and probably during the next few years gonna be even more tournaments, more mandatory tournaments. So, I mean, probably they are going to kill us in some way (smiling). Right now they are showing up a lot of injuries because of the ball, because of the calendar, because a lot of things.

So probably at some point a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that, because they have to think about their bodies, they have to take care about their love. I mean, they have family, they have a lot of other stuff in life than tennis. So they have to take care about it, as well. So it's getting too much, I guess.

Q. Yesterday you lost. In tennis, you face a loss almost every single week. How do you deal with it mentally? Do you work, for example, with someone on your mentality?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I want to think that, okay, I lose this time, but tennis, we are lucky, because in tennis we have a lot of opportunities. If I lose this week, next week we are going to have another opportunity to be better or to win the tournament or to have a really good feeling.

It's about preparation, I guess. If you feel like you have done a really good preparation between tournaments or before the tournament start, I mean, doesn't matter if you lose or win. It's about the good feeling you have. I mean, I have lost many, many times. Sometimes I left the court with a really good feeling because I played well, I felt well on court. Coming to the next tournament, I'm thinking that I'm gonna do a good results or I'm gonna get better.

A lot of them I felt like I was not doing the right things, so I felt bad. So tennis, we have a lot of opportunities that we have to think positive all the time. We have to think about it.