AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/N. Borges

6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Carlitos. Through to the second week of the AO. What did you think of Nuno's performance today, and how happy were you with your level?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think he plays his game, his level, which is really good level. He's really solid and talented player.

So I'm just really happy with my level. Could be better. I made a lot of mistakes that I shouldn't have done it. But anyway, in general, I just happy and have things to improve in approaching the next match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congratulations. Aryna said today that it was really difficult to serve on Rod Laver and that it was windy, that the balls were heavy and the court was super slow. Do you agree? Do you think it is really difficult to serve on that court?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it was my first match this year. I don't know. I didn't find it tricky to serve, the court. I just felt same as the Margaret Court, for example. I didn't feel too much different about those two courts.

Obviously with the wind and everything, you know, the sun came out, and it was the first match I played with the sun out, and it was a lot of heat, and the conditions were a little bit different.

So I had to see the difference. The ball became a little bit faster with the heat. I gonna say that that was why everything was a little bit trickier than the previous matches.

But I think it wasn't because of the court. It wasn't because of Rod Laver. I just found it like other courts.

Q. One of your next possible opponents is Jack Draper. I wanted to ask you about what challenges he would bring. Also, you and Jack had planned to train together in the offseason. I wonder why you and your team decided to invite him to come and train? I know he couldn't come in the end, but...

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, it could be possible, you know, playing against Jack Draper. He has to play tonight. He has played two really difficult battles, you know, the previous matches. And he faces Vukic, who is playing great tennis as well.

Let's see. I'm gonna play next one, but if it is Draper, I know that he's a really difficult player. He has a great level. We had plans to practice together in the preseason just one week that he was going to come to the academy.

I'm just happy to have a lot of players coming to the academy or Alicante, which is pretty close to the academy, and I am able to playing with or training with them.

But yeah, he just told us about what week he was the good one to practice together in the preseason, and he was saying that he couldn't do that at the end because he was a little bit injured.

But yeah, I think, I mean, we have a good relationship off the court. We practice a few times. I'm pretty sure we are gonna practice or in the next preseason or at Alicante or in London, whatever. He's a nice guy. Let's see against I'm gonna play the next round.

Q. Before you won the US Open, it had been a long time since a teenage man had won a Grand Slam title. I'm wondering if before you did it, did that seem like an impossible thing to do at such a young age? And I'd also just like to ask, we have seen some teenagers here have some success. Fonseca, Mensik, and last night Tien, all beat top-10 players. Have you seen those guys? What is your impression of those guys? What advice would you give someone about breaking through at such a young age at this level?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm gonna start with the second question. I have seen those players. I have seen the level that they have. I didn't watch too much about Tien, for example, but I watched a little bit last night, and it was incredible. I was surprised a little bit about his level.

I don't know, I mean, which ranking they are gonna reach, they're gonna get, but they have a lot of potential.

I mean, I'm talking like I'm 30 years old. I mean, I'm just two years older than them (smiling).

What advice? Not beat me, I guess. I don't know. I see them, you know, capable of beating anyone, including myself.

So, I mean, they have the level. They getting the experience in every tournament they play. Last night we saw Tien beating Medvedev here in Australia in five sets, which was amazing. Fonseca playing his first five-sets match yesterday, as well.

So they are getting experience. As much as they are getting experience, they're going to become even more dangerous. Let's see in the future.

And the first question was, how is it?

Q. Before you won as a teenager in New York, did it seem impossible for somebody that young to win a Grand Slam title? It had been a very long time since any man had won one before turning 20.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I don't know. I didn't think about it was impossible. When I, let's say, started, I didn't know about those things, you know, about which player just won a Grand Slam, you know, the youngest one or the youngest of being No. 1. I didn't know those stats.

So I just didn't want to think about it. I'm pretty sure the young people are not thinking about it. Yeah, I just didn't think about it. It was impossible.

Q. You played Nuno a couple years ago back in Barcelona. Despite it being different conditions, it was clay, playing hard court today, did you take anything away from that tactically that you brought in today, or was it completely a new contest to you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Can you say again?

Q. Couple years ago you played Nuno in Barcelona. Obviously different conditions, clay court there and obviously coming into hard court. Did you take anything away from that tactically that you brought into today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Not really. It was two years ago. Different conditions, different surfaces.

I think he plays better on hard court. I'm not sure about it, but I think so. But at two years, I'm a different player. I'm sure he's different player, as well. I didn't even watch that highlight or that match again.

So I just wanted to watch his matches, his previous matches, a little bit. But I didn't take anything from that match.

Q. You talked in your post-match interview about the food you have been eating, the Spanish food you have been enjoying. What kind of food do you eat before a match to fuel and whether you eat anything during the match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, before the match, I have my stuff, my secret stuff, which I'm not gonna say anything about it (smiling). And Spanish omelet, for example, here. I'm taking Spanish omelet, and my thing before the match, few hours before the match, and during the match I have my -- I don't know how to say -- my thing.

You know, I'm working with Crown (phonetic). It is a Spanish brand that I'm taking good things from them just to eating during the match.

Don't know how to say in English, but, I mean, I'm pretty sure the cameras got the picture of it.