MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 24, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions in Spanish and then take questions in English.

(In Spanish.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I know you've explained in Spanish, would you mind in English, please, just saying what the injury is, and just what the time scale is, and how difficult it is not to play in Madrid, please.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, in Barcelona final I felt something in the left hamstring, I didn't think that it was that serious. I'm really disappointed that I'm not able to play here in Madrid, it is a place that I love playing in front of my people, in front of my family, my friends. They are not able to travel so much, so here is a special place for me.

It was a really difficult situation, really difficult to decide, you know, not able to play. I think it is what it is. Tennis is really a demanding sport. Playing week after week, so many matches in a row, and you have to heal your body sometimes and take difficult decisions.

I will come back stronger, I will come back with a lot of power for the next tournaments, but, yeah, I'm really disappointed not playing here in Madrid.

Q. It was the first year that you are going this far in Monte-Carlo, and I'm just wondering now with the experience of this injury if you already thinking that this schedule of doing Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Madrid, Roland Garros is going to be too much for you in the future, and that you are going to have to maybe make other tough decisions?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, it is the first year that I went really far in Monte-Carlo, but it was the first year that I lost in the first round, you know, in Miami. I had time to prepare well, you know, the clay season, but it's never easy, you know, coming to, let's say, different surface, coming from hard court to clay court and playing, yeah, so many matches in a row, travel, and having no time to rest and be a hundred percent again to the next tournament, that's not easy.

Yeah, I mean, tennis player, we have to make difficult decisions sometimes. You know, as I said, the schedule is really tight, really difficult tournaments week after week, and sometimes you have to think about your self sometimes, and make the right decisions as to your health.

I mean, that decisions I'll make more than once, I'm sure. Yeah, I think that as less as I can make this difficult situation it's better, but tennis is like this.

Q. Last year was obviously extremely difficult for you with injury there and a lot of doubts, curious how much does that help you this time, and if, you know, knowing how well it ended in Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and if you feel any better knowing what you've overcome in the past year?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Can you say again?

Q. So last year was obviously very difficult for you with the injury, but it ended well in Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Are you able to take things from how you overcame your injuries last year?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, yeah, obviously, I mean, it's different injury. Last year it was a more difficult situation for me with the forearm, that I had a lot of doubts about my game in that period.

This injury, I mean, I'm not really worried about it. It's just, or I believe it's going to be, it's going to take one week, one week and a half, two weeks maximum, but I won't have doubts about coming back and moving a hundred percent again.

But from this situation I'm going to try to learn from the past, trying to deal the best way possible. And, yeah, and coming from the next tournaments and, yeah, I'm a hundred percent.

Q. What are the sort of the next steps then with scans and that sort of thing, and is the hope to be ready for Rome, and if not Rome, Roland Garros?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, my plan is going to Rome. My mindset is to do everything it takes to be a hundred percent for Rome. I will do some tests at the beginning of next week just to see how it's improved, and from that let's see how it's going to be the next days. My hope is to play in Rome. If not, I mean, next tournament is Roland Garros for me. So I will try to be on court as soon as possible.

Q. If you didn't play before the French Open would you be confident of your chances there to go and perform at the level that you can?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, my confidence is so high right now, doesn't matter that I got injured, right, the tennis that I played the last two weeks has been great for me. Mentally I think I'm strong to play good tennis again, so this is not going to take my confidence away.

I mean, if I don't play Rome or if I don't play any tournaments before Roland Garros, I mean, for me I don't care about it. I just have the confidence, I know what is my level, I know what I have to do, you know, to play a good tennis, so just like that.