ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 9, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/F. Cerundolo

3-6, 6-0, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Hi, Carlos. Obviously you lost the first set and had a tough game at the start of the second. From then on, you found something and you only lost one game. What was the change that you made there?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think I started to play more aggressively. I think the first set I just tried to get into the match, getting good pace, you know, playing or trying to play long rallies.

I think I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning of the match, and I just let him dominate the game. So in the second set, I just wanted to play more aggressively. You know, I started to return closer to the line, just putting pressure on his serve, and trying to play as aggressive as I can.

You know, as I say, the first rounds in every tournament is never easy, and then I switched to clay that a long time that I didn't touch the clay, so it has been difficult. But, you know, the serves I think here is not as important as probably on grass or on hard court, so I knew that I was going to have difficulties in the serve games, and just to be calm and just keep going.

So I think I did it pretty well, you know, saving the breakpoints in the first game of the second set, and after that, I think I just started to feel more comfortable and play my own tennis.

Q. What did you miss about clay season?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I think the tough battles, and as I say, you know, the serve is not as important probably as on hard court, so I think that's pretty good for me. You know, I think we playing, you know, almost every point, so we can make a lot of points or free points with the serve, so that's make develop the point even more than probably other surface.

Yeah, long rallies, you know, get the socks dirty a little bit. You know, that's what I miss, to watch good tennis. I think, you know, on clay you can watch the real tennis, because as I said, it's not only watching, you know, big serves or whatever, or points, you know, and just one or two shots. On clay you see long rallies. For example, yesterday, 48 rallies. That's what I like, watching tennis and playing here on clay.

Q. Congrats on your win. Your next opponent is Daniel Altmaier. How well do you know Danny? It's just first match against him. What do you expect?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, he's playing great. I think he have won two important matches and really good matches. I mean, he has a lot of confidence right now. He's a really tough clay player, so his tennis, his style, suits pretty well to clay.

So it's going to be a really tough match. I have to be focused on every point and on every shot. I will try to learn from this match just to make the right things and to be better, you know, on the things that I didn't play well today.

So I decided just to keep going, to play another match here in Monte-Carlo, that I haven't played too much in a row here. So it's going to be a great day, and let's see.

Q. You mentioned the other day it was a bit weird you had never won a match here and you haven't played here much before. It was a weight off your shoulders finally getting a win here?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Probably. Yeah, I'm not going to say I was nervous because of that, but yeah, it's one of the, you know, few tournaments that I haven't or just the only tournament that I haven't win one match before, so it just feel great. I'm finally, you know, get my first win here and keep going.

As I said, this is a really beautiful tournament that I really want to go far, and yeah, I think this year, you know, it's kind of relief that I got my first win.