INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 8, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, welcome back to Rome. How has the preparation been? Did you fully recover from the injury that forced you to pull out of Madrid?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I'm really happy to be here in Rome. Is the second time that I'm going to play here, so I'm excited.

The practices was great so far. Yeah, I'm in a good shape. I'm 100% ready to start the tournament. So I just can't wait for tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you make of the documentary now that it's out and the fan reaction?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly I was nervous. I was nervous honestly because I didn't know how it's going to be for the people when they watch it, how is going to be they reactions.

I mean, I liked it. I liked it. But, yeah, just really wanted to that the people enjoy watching it, they like it, as well.

So far the reactions has been super positive, which for me it was great. Some players told me that they loved it. It was really honest, as well.

I just super happy that there was a great impact for the people, for the fans. Just try to show my person, how I am, and how I was struggling, my thoughts in my head.

I'm just real happy about how the people watch it.

Q. How does it feel to come to a tournament where Jannik is here for the first time since the start of the year, that the biggest rival of your generation is back and you could potentially face him again?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: It is great. Honestly, I'm really happy to have him around again. It's been three months. Obviously for him was tough and I'm pretty sure was super long. But yeah, just I think it wasn't a better place to come back than here in his home, for him here in Rome.

I saw him. As I say, yeah, it is great for me, for the tennis, for the fans to have him again around, that he's able to play a tournament again.

We are in different sides of the draw. Hopefully I'm going to meet him at the final. But just want I want to say is I'm real happy to see him, his team around. I think, yeah, I'm going to enjoy watching him playing again, his matches. For the people I think is great.

Q. There was quite a topic with obsession for reaching great results, for being the best of all time. About your competitors, do you feel someone is obsessed with the results or maybe this generation people can balance better tennis and their private life?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think everybody thinks about the results, thinks about winning. It is fair. I think that's the normal thing. I was, too.

Right now I'm not anymore, I guess. I just try not to be focused on the results, win or lose. I think it is something more about the results. For me, I realize what it is, how I have to approach that matches, the tournaments, everything.

But I think right now every players is thinking about the result or even obsessed about getting wins, about the results just to get into the tournaments or in the ranking.

But yeah, I think that's normal.

Q. Do you feel confident about your chances at Roland Garros, given that you've missed some time recently? Last year was a bit the same, you had problems with your arm. It didn't stop you at Paris or Wimbledon.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, last year was even more difficult. But here, yeah, I couldn't play Madrid. It was a special tournament for me, which it was the same for me not able to play there.

But yeah, I could play really good tournaments, Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, good matches. Right now, yeah, I stop a little bit. I just try to recovered from the injury, which I wasn't worried at all.

So right now, yeah, I have confidence. The practices has been well. Just excited to start the tournament. Obviously I would say the first round in every tournament is never easy, you have to get used to the conditions, the tournament, the court, everything. But yeah, I'm just excited. I can't wait for tomorrow.

Yeah, I think my level is in a good spot.

Q. Something that marked people watching the documentary was between you and your coach there is not necessarily the same understanding of what you have to put on to be at the top. One of your fellow players said even that you can't become the greatest (indiscernible). I want to understand if you feel it's fair what you've just hear about these sequences so far in the media?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, one thing that I learned was about not thinking about anything the people say to me, or not the real people, my close people, my team, my family, or my close friends. I'm trying just to think not about that. Yeah, I hear good things, bad things about that. So I just want to keep in my path, keep in my own way. P.

But sometimes they found it, like, weird following that path, like enjoying life, not being such a professional that probably they could do it.

But, I mean, I just, as I said, follow with the things that I want, that I like, my team, the things that my team tell me, my close people, my family and my friends, and that's it.

I'm not going to say the fight, but the conversation we have, coach and player, we all have it. We all have that conversations about everything: about the tournaments, the practices, the things that I want to do that I probably don't have to.

Whoever says they don't have it, they lie. I think that's the beauty, you know, having mixed feelings, mixed point of view. At the end we go in the same path. We go all together. So I think that's beautiful, as well.

I think that's what I saw in the commentary, as well.