CHINA OPEN

September 30, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/K. Khachanov

7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your win today, Carlos. We will start with questions.

Q. Back to the first set, in the ninth game, you had the deuce that went to eight points before Khachanov was able to go up 5-4. How were you able to clear your head of that battle and put yourself in the position to go on to win the set?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Oh, I always try to put some pressure when they're serving just to in a certain way told them that I'm going to be there. If they want to win the service game or to beat me, they have to accept the battle and playing a really good tennis. For me, it's what I'm trying to show them all the time.

In this case against Khachanov, I tried to put pressure in every point, in every return, just to try if they are going to get nervous, miss a bit of first serves, in the second set put myself in the position to attack all the time.

I had some chances to break his serve in the 4-All. I didn't make it. But yeah, it help me, that game, into the next ones. For example, in the 5-4, I could make the break probably because I'm always there putting some returns in, playing good points, taking the most of the chances that he bring to me.

So really happy to be able to do it all the time.