QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 17, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/M. Cilic

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, congratulations on the win. Can we get some opening comments.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I feel great. I'm super excited about playing my first match here in Doha, really happy about the level, about the match. For me it was surprising to get such a good welcome, such a good support there. I'm really happy about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just wanted to know if you are an NBA fan.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: (Laughing). Yeah, I mean, I like the NBA, I like the basketball. I can't follow so much because, you know, the schedule of between us playing in the United States, but I try to follow as much as I can, so let's say I'm a NBA fan.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, he's the best. He's a really good friend of mine. I can't see him very often, but I'm just really happy every time that I see him. We are really good friends.

Q. Some times in tournaments or some matches you say like bold statements. Do you think these statements encourage you for the match or for the tournament? For example, like the Olympics, before the final you said, like, you will bring the gold medal to Spain. Does this encourage you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, no, every tournament that I go I really want to do a good result, I really want to go far. There are some tournaments that probably I feel more pressure playing at. There are some moments, some matches or some tournaments that, yeah, I feel the pressure, and that, you know, because of that I play in a different way. Sometimes it's pretty good, you know, I feel more motivated. Sometimes I feel more pressure, and I'm a little bit tight.

It depends. Right now I'm thinking, or I'm trying to, in every match, in every tournament, like going with power, with motivation, and trying to show my best tennis.

Q. Fernando Verdasco, he announced that this tournament is going to be his last one. I was wondering if you remember some specific matches or tournament where he played, or can you share some memory with him?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I remember a few times that I watched him playing. I can't say some things because I was a little kid when I was watching him. I couldn't share the tour with him, but, yeah, you know, the tournaments that I went when I was a little kid, Madrid, for example, Barcelona I went few times. I remember watching him play from home as well.

I think he was a really good tennis player. I mean, he reached the top of the top. He was really important for us, for Spain, he defend our flag, our country really good. Yeah, I remember when I watched him, sadly I couldn't share a moment with him on the tour, but sad that he leaving, but, yeah, I'm just happy that I'm here to watch him in his last matches.

Q. In this part of the year and the previous years you played in clay in South America. What made you change your mind and go to hard, and how it is to be on hard court before the Indian Wells and the Miami double?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I enjoy it so much the tournaments that I played in South America the previous year, but I felt like I need a change. For me as a tennis player I'm really happy to play in new tournaments. During the year I am playing the same tournaments year after year, so Rotterdam, for example, being here, playing different tournaments for the first time, I feel the support and the love from different people, let's say, I'm playing in front of different people, for me it's great.

I feel like I needed a little bit more of experience playing on indoor court like I was playing in Rotterdam. I think it's the best way to prepare, you know, for the American swing, playing in Miami, playing on hard court, and not going on different surfaces. For me I think it's great this part of the year to have a change.

Q. I want to ask you about Joao Fonseca. Yesterday we saw your Tweets like five minutes after the match literally when he won Buenos Aries, and actually a lot of people are waiting your first match against him. What do you think about him, and do you think he'll be a future world No. 1?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I was watching the match. I think he played a great match, his first ATP Final. It's not easy to face an ATP Final, and playing against Francisco Cerundolo in his hometown, I know it wasn't easy. I think the level he played, it was insane. I was just really happy about him playing and getting his first ATP title.

His potential is huge. His level is really, really high. I saw a stat that in this part of the year last year he was 660, and now he is 68. So, I'm pretty sure during the year he's going to get higher.

Potential No. 1, I don't know. I think nobody knows that. I can say let's see in the future, but he has potential, he has the level to get there or to fight for great things. So, I'm excited to see him, you know, in real life in a match. I'm excited to let's see if I'm going to play against him soon, so just let's see.