ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/L. Musetti

4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 2-0 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, congrats on reaching yet another Grand Slam final. I'm sure not the way you wanted to win. What did you exchange at the net with Lorenzo, and did you have any more thoughts for him?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, it's not the way that I want to win, to make the final. Yeah, I talking that the clay season for him has been unbelievable, the level he has reached is pretty high. I just wished him, you know, speedy recovery. I hope to see him soon, you know, on court again, enjoying his tennis again. He's gonna reach these rounds, and he's going to fight for finals and Grand Slam, I'm sure about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Those two first sets were very tough. What were your tactics during those first two sets? What changed in the third?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I didn't take the chances he brought to me. The first set I had few breaks points that I couldn't make it. I tried to stay there. I knew that I had chances. I was playing great. It was just about few mistakes or few things that I made the difference in the first set.

Then the second set, it was pretty close, as well. I had a break up in, well, twice, that I couldn't make the most of that breaks, but I ended up playing a great tiebreak. I think his level go down a little bit, and I made the most of it.

At the beginning of the third set, I knew what I had to do. I'm pushing him to the limit, try to make him run from side to side. The end, you know, he had to retire, but I think it was a really important moment the beginning of the third set.

Q. In four of your six games you have lost a set. Was there a moment when you were worried? How did you always manage to get back into the game?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, sometimes we just think about myself. Sometimes we think about I lost the set in the match, and we don't think about he win the set. So I think that's the difference.

So sometimes in the match I think about, okay, I mean, the player started to play really great tennis, that, okay, I didn't go down so much, probably few times in the match, so I'm not worried about it.

We are in a Grand Slam. We have time to come back. You know, for example, today when I was playing great, it was just a few mistakes. I mean, we have to think about the opponent sometimes, as well.

But as I said, I'm not worried at all about, you know, leaving some sets on Grand Slams, because I know that I have time and I'm strong mentally enough to come back.

Q. You mentioned there about pushing him to the limit. I just wondered how kind of conscious you are against your opponents knowing that you are asking a huge amount of them to live with you physically over five sets and how much confidence that gives you and reassurance if you do go down a set or maybe even two?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, as I said, you know, Grand Slam is really long. You know, playing in such a great level and such a high intensity during three sets is tough. I know that I bring a lot of intensity in the matches. I think I put some high speed on my shots during the whole match, that probably some other players are not used to play such a high speed or intensity.

So that makes me a lot of confidence in the Grand Slam that I'm thinking that I gonna come back if I lose one or two sets. And, yeah, as I said today, I try to push him to the limit. The first two sets was really difficult, intense, and I tried to make him run a lot during the third set just thinking a little bit in the future, as well. That's important and give me a lot of confidence.

Q. Obviously you don't know who you're going to play yet, but tomorrow you could be either against the player who could become 25 Grand Slams, most successful tennis player, man or woman, of all time, or maybe your rival for the next ten years who could move on to four Grand Slams, like you, if he beats you. What is your view of both players heading into the final?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it's going to be a really great Sunday, I think, for the fans of tennis. I mean, against Novak or Jannik, I think every time that I played against both are nice matches to watch, to play it or not, because it's always tough, honestly, but that matches gives you the feedback of what you have to improve or what you have to be better.

I think that's really important. I'm gonna watch the match, and I'll see against who I'm gonna play on Sunday. That's all I can answer right now.

Q. Following up on that, what is your favorite thing about playing against Jannik, and what is your favorite thing about playing against Novak?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Favorite thing...(smiling). I mean, I enjoy every time that I'm playing against them, because I love that battle. But, you know, most of the time is just about suffering, because they push you to the limit.

But my favorite thing is, as I said, it gives you the feedback of how can I be better, a better player. I think that's important, and that's beautiful, even though if I win or not, gives you a lot of stats and gives you the feedback.

Q. The roof was closed, obviously. What does that do to your game? Did you have a preference that you wanted it to be open perhaps because there was outdoor tennis happening everywhere else? And there is rain on the forecast on Sunday. Will you mind if the match started and you took your chances and then they had to close the roof, just getting the opportunity to play outside?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I have to get used to it one way or other. Today was difficult. When the roof is closed, there are a lot of humid, you know, on the court, and the balls become bigger. It's tougher to play sometimes when the roof is open, that the ball goes faster, flies more, bounce more.

So everything is different. As tennis player, we have to get used to playing with the roof open or the roof closed. Let's see how it's gonna be on Sunday. I think the weather here in Paris change a lot. You know, the prediction could be raining on Sunday but probably it's not going to rain, let's see, but I have no preference. I'm gonna go for it in one way or other.

Q. A question about your serve. Your serving probably wasn't up to your highest standard in the first set. Did you change anything? And what did you change?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I didn't change anything. I didn't just feel as good as I was feeling before. You know, that kind of matches with the serve can happen when you don't have a good feeling with the serve.

I try not to think about it, and I try not to affect the serve with my level from the baseline. But is something that I have to improve on Sunday, that I have to be better.

But it was just today. During the whole week I was serving great, I was feeling great, and hopefully Sunday it's going to be that.

Q. Do you have a preference of who you're playing?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Not really (smiling). I mean, if I want to play against Jannik, he's the best tennis player right now. I mean, he's destroying every opponent through the semifinal. Or Djokovic is 24 Grand Slam champion.

I mean, this, I have no preference. I'm going to enjoy the match, and let's see who I'm gonna play against on Sunday.