MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

April 1, 2022

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/H. Hurkacz

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: How does it feel to be in your first Masters 1000 final?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it's great. It's great to be able to play my first Masters 1000 final here in Miami.

I love playing here in Miami. Amazing crowd, amazing atmosphere, amazing everything. So it's great to play a final.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. I want to ask you about your recovery from last night. Long match last night. 7-6 in the third. What time did you get to sleep? What time did you wake up this morning? What did you do all day in order to get ready to play what you said you knew was going to be a long match against Hubert?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yesterday was a tough and long match. I think I finished late, everything.

So I went to sleep at 2:00 a.m., but I had the life to woke up late. You know, 10:00, 10:00 a.m. in the morning. I attempt to sleep well.

Yeah, was easy day, took a nap, as well, as every day. But, yeah, just warm up a little bit. Took a nap, as I said, and, yeah, getting ready for the match.

Q. I wanted to talk to you about your return position. You made a few changes compared to the other matches during this tournament. You went further back. I was wondering, is it something that you planned? What kind of adjustment did you have to do during the match reading Hubi's serve?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Sorry, say again, please?

Q. You made quite a lot adjustments in your position and where to return the serve, the second serve. Did you plan to make that change before the match, or did you have to change throughout the match by reading what Hubi was doing?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, at the beginning, the plan was returning near the baseline, the second serve. But during the match, I saw that while the point is playing, you have more chances to win the point.

So in the second serve I decide to return the back and just put the return in and trying to play the ball, you know, and just in the first set just trying to put the return in, you know, if I return back or near the baseline, but I couldn't. It wasn't a plan. You know, just focus on put the return in.

Q. Two weeks ago in Indian Wells you made semifinal, and now you made final. So what is the biggest lesson you learned from the match against Rafa in Indian Wells?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it was a great match against Rafa. I think that I played a great match against him. But I think that I learned how to play in a semifinal in a Masters 1000. It was my first one, so now second one I managed to do much better than in Indian Wells.

It was different match, I mean, this one than Rafa's match, but I think that the nerves, the tough moments, I managed better in this one than Indian Wells.

Q. Of course you have very strong forehand but at the same time you have amazing dropshot and you played really smart against top good players. So how did you learn or how did you brush up these kind of strategy aspect?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, in every match I trying to put my game, I mean, as you said, hitting big forehands, hitting big shots, dropshots, trying to go to the net, trying to be aggressive all the time.

Of course you have a plan in every match against every player, but yeah, in every match I trying to improve my game. Just my idea in every tournament and in every match.