ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 7, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/G. Barrere

6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Carlitos, well done for your first match in Shanghai. How did you find the crowd out there?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: It was great. Honestly, it was great as always. Every match that I played here in China I enjoy. I enjoy my time out there. I felt great on the court as well. Yeah, it's a little bit different, but it was great for me.

THE MODERATOR: Any questions?

Q. Carlos, what pleased you the most about that performance today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Honestly, I think not using up and downs on my game, I just stay at the same level all the time. He increased his level, but I think my level of focus it was all the time the same. I think that I'm pleased the most about that.

Q. You're also, you're perfect, you maintained a perfect record in first-round matches this year. Do you ever get nervous before the start of a tournament?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Not really. Honestly, I don't feel the nerves at all at the beginning of the tournament.

As I said, I just focus on what I have to improve, what I have to do better, that's all I'm thinking about. I don't feel the nerves.

Q. I was wondering, could you talk about your feelings about this China trip so far. This is the first time you came to China, and how do you feel about the energy and the love from the Chinese audience and the fans for here?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, as I said in Beijing, it was amazing the energy that the people bring to you, bring to tennis. It was amazing. I loved playing in the center court in Beijing. I played in the Diamond Court and it was amazing.

Coming here to Shanghai I felt great playing out there in the center court, it was an amazing court as well. Yeah, the crowd is always amazing. In the practice as well it was full crowd on the practice. It's an amazing feeling for me, even if it is the first time that I am coming to China and feeling this energy, yeah, it's something that I didn't expect before coming here.

Q. Congratulations on your win. Obviously Medvedev and Sinner also in action today. They also won. You guys are the top contenders for this title. I just wondered who were you more worried about facing in the later stages of the tournament, Medvedev or Sinner?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: (Laughing). That's a tough one. Both of them (laughing). I saw that Medvedev won 42 or 42 matches on hard court this year. It's amazing.

Obviously Jannik beat me in Beijing, playing such a high level.

I really want to face them, both of them. Before that I have to win my matches, and they as well. But both are players that probably, you know, it's scary to face them, you know, on court, but I like that kind of challenge. I'm really wanting that. I want to play my best level to find the final and probably face them.

Q. Can you tell us about what did you write on the camera, and also the interaction between you and your coach after your win.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, he's a friend of Juan Carlos, a really important person that's been through not a good time right now. He's struggling a lot at home. So this victory is just for him, you know, to try to help him to push him a little bit. Just for him. He told me that if I remember him to put him in the camera.