BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 4, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to Tennis Paradise. When did you get out to the desert and how is the preparation going so far?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I got here last night a bit late. I couldn't practice yet, so I gonna practice this afternoon.

I'm excited about hitting here in the desert again. Really happy to be here again. I had time to play some golf already, so I think it has been a good preparation so far.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You're running for a third consecutive title here. If you do win it, you'll be only the third man after Roger and Novak to do it. Do you think about that at all? If you do, does that make you feel any sort of pressure?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I know that this is something that only two players have done in the history, I think.

So I'm here to take, I mean, to take that pressure, let's say. I will try not to think about it. I will try just to enjoy it. Because this tournament, every time that I come here, I enjoy so much, you know, practicing, playing. Everything for me here is so easy. So all I'm thinking is to enjoy this tournament. I'm waiting the whole year just to come back here.

So I will try not to think about it. Just flow and see how it's going to be, the tournament. But it is something that for me would be great to achieve.

Q. Welcome back, Carlos. One of the things that people love about watching you play is the joy you show on the court. I wonder if you'd talk about that joy and your love for the game and where that really began for you.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, for me, I mean, tennis is my passion, is my love.

Being here is the dream that I had when I was a little kid. So for me, it's time to keep enjoying, you know, living the dream.

I realize that the time, when I'm enjoying on the court playing, I show my best tennis. So that's all I'm thinking. Just to enjoy.

Sometimes I lose the focus, and I thought more about the results, more about I have to win this tournament, I have to do it great, and I lose whatever is really important, is to show the joy that I'm giving to the fans.

Obviously for me, to enjoy playing. So for me it's the most important thing. Right now I'm the right way just to thinking about getting for them, enjoying myself on the court.

Q. The courts have been resurfaced here. Some of the players said they're playing a little faster in the practices sessions. How would that suit your game a little bit or do you think it will make a difference much?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: The court is faster, right? I don't know. Honestly, it's a chance that I didn't understand when I saw it, it was 25 years the tournament, it was the same court, and then right now has changed. I don't know the reason why did it.

I don't know. I have to practice on it. I think I consider myself a player who adapt very well his game, you know, on the surfaces and all the conditions that you're playing on.

I think I play great tennis anyway, even though the courts are a bit faster. But all I can say is I didn't understand when I saw it.

Q. Jannik Sinner not being in the draw, does that change your approach to the tournament, or does it give you any other confidence going into it?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it didn't change at all. I mean, this tournament obviously, I mean, Jannik's not playing, but there are a lot of the best players in the world are playing here as well. I think the draw is really open, and a lot of players playing great tennis.

For me, coming here to approach the tournament, it doesn't change at all. I'm just focused on my things, on myself, and I try to play good tennis here.

Q. Curious how you're feeling about your serve. You changed it in Australia. Sometimes it's hard for players to stick with it if they don't necessarily have all of the success that they want to have with it. How is your commitment to it, and what is your thinking about it both on the first serve and then also on the second serve?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm still on it, I'm still practicing, I am still improving. I'm feeling great. I'm feeling like an upgrade on the serve.

So just to keep believing on the movement, on the serve, because I know that there is going to be a great serve. My second serve, I trust a lot. My second serve I think is a really good and solid one. The first serve could be better.

But, you know, every day I'm feeling the progress. But sometimes, you know, in the matches, during the practices, you don't feel as good as you want it, so you have to separate playing from the baseline than the serve. So if the serve doesn't work at all, I mean, you can play good tennis from the baseline and forget about the serve.

But right now, I'm feeling great. I'm really happy about everything I'm doing with the serve, so I'm close to be a serve-bot, I guess. (Laughter.)

Q. You mentioned before you've already played golf since being here. How important is it for you to do things away from tennis when you're playing at these high-level tournaments?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, for me, having different things to do outside the tennis for me is great, to turn off your mind a little bit, to forget about tennis.

Sometimes the pressure is there, and for me playing golf or doing some other stuff helps you a lot to forget about that pressure and forget about the tournament a little bit. Helps you a lot to be great and feel great off the court. That for me is really important and then to show good tennis on the court.

That's why this tournament is one of my favorite tournaments, because I can play golf a lot (smiling). With my team, with my family, I'm lucky guy who can bring a lot of people, a lot of family with me in the tournaments. That help me a lot to feel that I'm at home. So for me it's great to have those things coming to a tournament.