QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 20, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

J. LEHECKA/C. Alcaraz

6-3, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you expected a tough match, that was one. What do you think you could have done different during this match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I've talked with my team, with my coach, and, honestly, because I didn't, I don't know what I could have done better. Probably a few serves, a few points that probably I didn't play, you know, a good point.

Honestly, I don't know. It was kind of a difficult feelings, I guess. I mean, I have to give credit to him as well, because when he was down, especially in the third set, he didn't give up. I mean, it was about one point. I think that's why it makes tennis really difficult, you know, one point makes a difference.

4-2 break point, it was just a few centimeters down in the net, so it could turn the match completely.

But then 4-3, he started play great tennis. Probably I could have done a bit better from the 4-3, but his game was incredible. He was returning pretty well, really aggressively, no mistakes, or almost no mistakes.

So that's what I have to learn. Next time, probably just keep going, when I was up in the match, with serves. But, you know, honestly, in my mind, I don't know what I could have done better, and give credit to him.

Q. I want to ask you, we heard some rumors that you could add to your coaching team, I mean with Juan Carlos Ferrero. So if you can have any answer for that.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: A what?

Q. To add the new coach.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah.

Q. We heard some rumors after Australian Open from some newspaper, I'm not sure if it's true or not.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: A new coach apart from Juan Carlos?

Q. Yes.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, I have it, you know, in Rotterdam, I have it in here. So it is, yeah, I have two coaches, I mean, yeah, Juan Carlos and Samuel.

Q. What you could, let's say, improve in your game?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: All right, well, I mean, what I like to having those coaches is because, you know, between them, they have a lot of confidence between them. So everything they saying to me it was in the same way. So if they have to say something to me, you know, before that they talking between them, then they say just the one thing, so it's kind of a really solid team.

They are different person, you know, different person. When I'm with Samuel, you know, off the court he give me like, I would say, like calm, and I enjoy my time off the court with him. As I say, I don't know what makes him different, but I just like, you know, the group, the whole team, so we are a really solid team.

Q. You played three matches here. With what kind of conclusions, sensations you leave Doha regarding your game, and also this tournament, was your first time here.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I love the tournament. I think the tournament is amazing. Everything, you know, for the players, I think everything is really easy. The people who works here makes this tournament really special.

The courts are pretty well. For us it's really, everything is close, everything is easy. I love playing here.

I think my game here was, has been really good as well. So I leave Doha with, I mean, with the head up, with confidence, and really, really happy with everything that I've done here, and how I felt here with my team. I'm going to come back next year, but, yeah, I'm leaving Doha with a head up.

Q. Hard luck, Carlos. Apart from the match, I want to take your opinion regarding the rise of new games like padel tennis, like pickleball, do you think these games will affect people just to play and maybe the following on TV, or will tennis always has its top spot regarding the media?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, right now tennis is the main racquet sport. But like padel is growing up a lot, which is good. I think for the beginners who start playing racquet sport I think padel is much better than tennis, so we have to do something with that. But just, I mean, just happy to see, you know, new sports, and let's see how it's going to be in the future.