ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 13, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/L. Musetti

3-6, 6-1, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Carlos.

Q. Congratulations for your title. Do you feel like you proved a point today? Because as you said on court, these few last months were difficult and there were many criticisms. Do you feel like you kind of proved that point today?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, I don't feel that way. I just, yeah, I always say that, you know, it's, let's say it's freak talk. When you're not winning or the people have really high expectations of you, you don't win tournaments or matches, you know, they probably talk a lot, let's say.

So I just realized that I don't have to think about all they talking about and just focus on myself. So I'm not gonna say I just proved them, that they're wrong, but I just really happy to be able to refocus the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team, with my close people, and just playing for myself. So I'm just really happy that I was able to do it.

Q. I wanted to know what did you think about that first set? Because Musetti was playing really, really well, in my opinion. With those high ball, it was causing you some trouble so you were missing quite a few forehand. Then something changed. You played much better, with more wisdom, I would say. So how do you explain it? And are you surprised the level that Musetti has reached in this tournament?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think today was about who is going to or who was going to deal with the nerves much better, the pressure. He played his first Masters 1000 final, a huge moment for him. For me, as well, because as I say, it was a difficult month for me. And being in a final, I just put pressure on myself. There were a lot of nerves.

So at the beginning, it was about who was going to deal with the nerves and the pressure much better. I think he did it pretty well. Much better than I did.

Tactically, I didn't play well. So I just was playing probably to his best shot and missing first, second shot, almost in every point making a lot of mistakes, let's say. I had to change it. I had to change the situations.

I changed tactically a little bit, making more rallies. I tried not to make many mistakes and just get in the good rhythm again. I think that I played well.

At the beginning of the second set, I think I started the set really strong. It helped me a lot to get into the match and get to the good rhythm again.

After that, you know, in the middle of the second set, I think he got injured. So it was disappointing, I think, for him for sure. It wasn't good for him, for his people.

But I have to say that I feel sorry for him, but I'm pretty sure he's gonna reach these rounds more than once, because the level he reach it didn't surprise at all, because I know he's doing the right things, he's putting good work every day, and we're gonna see Lorenzo Musetti in this position more often.

Q. Congratulations. The trophy looks very nice on you. This is the best start to the European clay court season for you. Can you tell us how you plan to manage the expectations you have towards what's coming up, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, the focus, and not listening to the voices that expect so much from you now?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, as I said, it's going to be -- I'm pretty sure that it's going to be difficult months ahead, because, as you said, a lot of people have really high expectations on me, on having a really good clay season. Probably they want me to win almost every tournament, so it's gonna be difficult to deal with it, I guess.

But one thing that I learned the last month is I have to think about myself. I have to think about myself. I have to just think about my people, my team, my family, my friends, my close friends. No matter what happen on court, if I win, if I lose, I just have to leave the court happy. I'm proud about everything I have done. So that's something that I learned, and I think I did it this week and it paid off.

In the next couple of months in this clay season, I will try to just keep going the same way that I approach this tournament and not think about the people talking about expectation. Just I will hear about my close people and my team have things to say to me, and that's all that matter to me. I will try to approach the clay season like this.

Q. Carlos, your coach Samuel all the week repeat, Stay positive, go through the issues. Do you think that you were adapting a little bit during the American season because your game was not like you wanted to do? You adapt about your game?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Probably. Yeah, I mean, this is the first tournament of the clay season, the first tournament on clay. I knew that it was going to be really difficult, I was going to face difficult moments, and in those situations I had to stay positive.

Yeah, as my coach, Samuel said, probably stay positive is the thing that he most repeated this week. Stay strong and stay positive.

One thing that he told me and probably was the key of this great week was you have to face the difficulties you have. Face it, not avoid it.

I think that changed a lot, because in the matches, you have to face them, not be worried about them, not be afraid of them. When you realize and you accept it and you face it, everything is going the right way.

I think thanks to all the positive things and face those moments, it was a great week.

Q. I know you don't like to be compared to Rafa, but 20 years ago, he won his first of 11th title here. We know it's very difficult to win here because of the transition, but do you think that it's a tournament you might want to win several times as well now?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I wish (smiling). I wish to win it more than once. Thinking about 11 is impossible, honestly (smiling).

We have been talking or I have been talking with my team several times to like what Rafa did in clay. It is one of the most difficult things to do in sport or one of the greatest things he have done, not in tennis, in the whole sport, winning the same tournament 11 times, 14 times, tournaments like this one, tournament like Roland Garros. It is the best tournaments in the world. It is something impossible to repeat.

I just got my first one. Obviously I just want to keep going. Let's see how many I can get. If I just keep it with one, I will be more than happy. Doesn't matter if I don't get any more Monte-Carlo titles, but I will try for it.

Just turning 21 years old, so hopefully, if everything goes well, I will be playing this tournament for the next 10, 15 years. So let's see if I can get at least one more (smiling). All I'm thinking right now is just to enjoy this moment and let's see in the future.

Q. Congratulations. Great tournament. Musetti is now No. 11. Do you think he has inside the potential to be a stable top-10 player? How much difficult for a player who has a style of playing baseline finesse, technique, one-hand backhand, to stay on the top and just not playing very hard from the baseline?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm not surprised that Lorenzo is pretty close to be top 10. He has potential to be there. I mean, he beat top-10 players many times. He faced the best players in the world. I mean, he beat them and he can play really tough matches match after match after match.

So that's the top 10, do it during the whole year. So I think he has the weapons. He has the level. He's learning, as I saw he mentioned before, that he's learning how to suffer in the matches. I think that's what he said.

I think he's doing great. I said in the speech that I know he's doing the right things on the court, off the court, which is important to make a great level. So we are going to see Lorenzo Musetti in the top 10. I think I'm sure about it, and I will see Lorenzo Musetti fighting for great things in our sport.

Q. (Off mic.)

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I don't know. I mean, for us, I can say it's difficult playing against him, for sure. He's really talented. He has every shot. So he can hit backhand down the line from the baseline, really good volley, good slices. He has everything on court.

So for us, it's really difficult to play against him, that's for sure.

Q. How important is it for you to be No. 2 on Monday? There is a good chance that Jannik and you are seeded 1 and 2 in Roland Garros. Do you think that tennis, the fans, needs to see a slam final between you and Jannik?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, talking about the things that I learned the last couple of months or the last months is not thinking about anything else but enjoy on court.

Something that I realized that I had to do is not thinking about anything else but enjoy. So I'm not thinking about the ranking anymore. Just keep going, making the things that I enjoy, that make me happy. It is step on the court, showing good tennis, and that's it.

If I win, it is great. If I don't win, I will learn and just keep going and making the things that make me happy. So the ranking is not my priority anymore, and let's see what's gonna happen the next month until Roland Garros.

Jannik and I, yeah, probably the people wants that in the final. So let's see.