ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 11, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Fils

4-6, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. A tough day in the office, but finally a good day in the office. What made the difference? Is it your experience against such a young player who for instance never won a Grand Slam? How do you explain your victory?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it was really, really tough. I'm not gonna say it was one point to lose, but it was kind of that in the second set.

I think his level is pretty high. The strength that he hit the ball, it is amazing. Physically he is one of the most physical players on the tour, one of the best ones, for sure.

So, I mean, today I think I didn't play my best tennis, but I think I played a great tennis. It was about the tennis today, I think. In some moments he made some mistakes in the first or second shot of the point, so I tried to make the most of that free points. Tried to stay there all the time, which I think I did great. And, yeah, one of the most difficult matches that I've played this year.

Q. I have the feeling that to see your best tennis, you have to be in danger. When you're in danger, then you find out always a way to win points and you play the best point of the tournament or the game. Don't you think is a risky plan to have? Because it happened quite a few. 3-0 down at the beginning. Then you go up 4-All, and then you lose the set. 5-All, Love-40, and then again, the best points of the game. Don't you think it's a little bit tricky, especially when maybe you will face player like a top, top player?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I know. I think for my health and my team's health, it is important to play the best points a little bit earlier. You know, probably a few times my team and my dad told me that probably he's gonna get a heart attack, you know, sometimes (smiling).

But, I mean, it's just, I don't know, I think that real champions find the right level, you know, when it's needed. Obviously I would love to play such a, I mean, a high level on my best tennis from the beginning until the last ball, but I think in tennis we play in two hours, two hours and a half, so it is the most difficult things to do in tennis to maintain your best tennis during two hours and a half.

So when it's needed, it's great to find the good tennis. But, you know, in the whole match, I would love to play a good tennis, but sometimes I'm playing against an opponent who play better, and you have to accept it and run and fight.

You know, I think I just, yeah, I just played a good second set, but we both didn't have chances until the end of the set. So that means that we were playing great tennis, both of us, in the service game, but yeah, I think the real champions find the good tennis in the tough moments.

Q. Well done, Carlitos. You're a very young man. Almost 22, yes. But at the same time, the experiences that you have had at the biggest tournaments are very rare for a lot of players on the tour. So this particular experience of Monte-Carlo tournament, which was not really yours until now, how does it factor in with your maturing as a person and as a player?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I started my career really early, which that means I have already live a lot of situations, which I learned about playing finals of Masters 1000, Grand Slams. I lost some of the tough matches that made me learn about how to deal with that, with some situations.

Yeah, I say I'm super young, I'm still super young, but I feel like I have to keep going to live the experience to learn about that, but I feel like I know how to deal with that with some situations that probably other players don't have that feeling.

But, yeah, having tournaments like this one, Monte-Carlo, it's my second time that I play here, and to be able to play a semifinal for the first time make me, you know, still growing up as a player, as a person, living new experiences.

I think every match is new, is different, and we have to learn, you know, from the matches that I'm playing. So I think this tournament is really important just to keep going and to get confident for the clay season.

Q. Now it's going to be Alejandro in the semifinal. He's your good friend. He told me you are invited to his wedding. And Arthur, too. What do you like the most about him and what do you expect tomorrow?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, he invited me to his wedding. He's a friend. We have seen each other for a long time already. He used to play with my old brother when they were younger, as well. I know him pretty well. I've played against him a few times. Practiced a lot.

So it's going to be interesting. It's not gonna be easy, never easy playing against a friend, but, you know, this is tennis. Once you step on the court, there are no friends (smiling).

So I have to go for it. There is no time to be tired, to be afraid. I will try to show a good tennis, and let's see. It's going to be my first semifinal here in Monte-Carlo. I think it is his second or third time he's gonna play in the semifinal here.

I know this is a tournament he loves playing, and I think he feels really comfortable playing here in Monte-Carlo. I think he's been playing good tennis lately. I think it's going to be a really interesting match to watch, to play. I'm excited. Yeah, let's see how it's going to be tomorrow.

Q. Carlos, there were many, many talks, you know, with your coach during the game. You need that to adjust your game, during the game to adjust the way you had to play, you need that to talk with Samuel like that?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I'm a person who needs just to talk, you know, with someone that I trust, you know, when I have difficult situations, difficult moments.

The anger that I have inside, I have to put it out in some way, and I think there is not a best way to do it if I'm not talking to Samuel. I think seeing the match from outside, it's always a better view that he can give me some advices, what I have to do or what I have to show to the opponent.

So, yeah, I need that talk to him, to my team, just to put it out all the anger that I have. Obviously sometimes I need advising, because sometimes I don't know how to or what I have to do on the match.

So that view from outside help me a lot to show a good tennis and probably have less nerves. So I think having Samuel or having that talks with Samuel help me a lot.