AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/C. Alcaraz

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

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Who is the favorite now to win the tournament for you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I mean, the four, I mean, they have to play quarterfinals. I don't know. Sascha, Djokovic, Jannik for me are the favorites. That's for sure. I can't say one.

Q. How do you describe how hard it was to play Novak after he got hurt, and what made it so difficult?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly I felt like I was controlling the match, and I let him get into the match again. I'm going to say that's was the biggest mistake that I made today.

In the second set I had to play a little bit better just to push him even more to the limit. Yeah, he saw that he had issues just moving a little bit in the second set. I had to push him a little bit more just to the limit, and I didn't. I didn't do it. After that, I think he started to feel better and playing such a great level. That was my biggest mistake today.

But obviously when Novak is at this level, it's really difficult. I think I had my chances. It was a really close match. I think most of the crucial points, it went to his side.

I mean, when Novak is playing at this level, it's really difficult to find the way.

Q. Why do you think you weren't able to keep it up in the second set? What was going on in your mind that let Novak back in?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it's just about when you seeing someone that is struggling physically a little bit, it's kind of you not playing the same level. It seems like, okay, it's going to be easier. At the same time in your mind you're thinking, like, Okay, I have not to make mistakes. Probably you're not hitting the ball at the same way that you're hitting before. I think that's it.

I think he did great, great hits, great shots. He started to play more aggressively, try not to move so much in the second set. He made few of them, which make him stay up in the set, break up, or stay up. That's it.

After that, as I said, it was really difficult to overcome that, and I'm playing better than him.

Q. You're really specific about what you noticed about his movement in the second set and then in the third and fourth sets. How different was it?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I think everybody saw in the second set he's struggling a little bit to moving. I don't know if it was more running to the forehand or running to backhand, but obviously he was struggling. Then the third and fourth set, I didn't see anything bad from him.

So I'm not saying, like, he made a show. I just saying that, I don't know. It's obvious and everybody saw it that he's struggling in the second set. Then the third and fourth set he showed he was really good.

Q. Could you compare the Novak that you played tonight to the one you played in the Olympic final.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, is difficult to compare because is different conditions. It's clay, Paris. I mean, different time. It's just different.

Q. In terms of his level?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I mean, his level... Probably, I don't know, same level. I mean, the third and the fourth set, I think both played such a great tennis. Comparing to that match, probably same level. I don't remember right now what level he play.

I know that he played such a high level in the Olympic Games. Right now I don't know the difference. Probably I could say it might be the same.

Q. After the match, Novak called it one of the best matches that he's played at the Oz Open, one that he's been a part of. What did it feel like to be involved in a match of such high quality throughout the four sets?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I mean, I'm playing great, great matches. I mean, every time that we play against each other, I think it's so guarantee. I mean, we push us to the limit, each other. I think we've played great points, great rallies. It was really tight the third, the fourth set. I mean, the whole match, I guess.

I'm just lucky to live this experience. I'm 21 years old. From these matches, I'm getting so much experience about how to deal with everything.

I'm not going to hide. I've done great things in tennis already, but playing against one of the best in history of our sport, these kind of matches help me a lot in the future to be better.

I'm just happy to be able to live this experience. Yeah, I mean, for me it's great hearing those words from someone who played historic matches, historic things.

So I'm leaving here Australia with the head up. I'm really happy about hearing those words from Novak.

Q. Was there energy lacking on your side at points? We're so used to you kind of getting the crowd up. Do you think you could have used them a bit more at points?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Probably I could do it, but something that I learn playing the Grand Slam is I have to save energy. There have been some moments, some matches that I didn't save energy, pumping myself, playing with the crowd, screaming 'vamos' every time I'm 100%. At the end in the third and the fourth set probably I struggled physically because of that.

So I learned to save energy during the match, especially these kind of matches which is really physically demanding. I don't know.

I'm going to say I think I did great, but probably I could do it a little bit more in specific moments. In general, I'm going to say that in Grand Slam I prefer to be, like, calmer.