ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, welcome back to Roland Garros. How did it feel to come in here the first time as a defending champion?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it feels great to be back here in Paris, in Roland Garros. It reminds me a lot from last year, living again that feeling that I had last year, it's great, having the practices here.

So I'm just trying to get, you know, ready as soon as possible and to have a great level to start the tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Carlitos, after the draw ceremony, I saw you take a long look at the draw. Some players come in here and say even after they have won, they don't want to know the next opponent. How have you dealt with that over the years? Have you always been relaxed with the draw and knowing what may come next? Was that ever a source of nerves for you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I had a long look on the draw, but it wasn't my draw, honestly. I just saw the first round and the second round obviously.

But I don't really see that far for my side. I just have a global view of the draw, because I know in the Grand Slams, there are always really great matches in the first rounds. So I just curious to see what first round is gonna happen and to be able to watch it.

But yeah, I just love to watch the draws, you know, the sides of some players. But, yeah, I'm just chill, I just see my first round, second round maximum, and that's it for me.

Q. I have a question about rivalries. Tennis has had a big history of rivalries, Borg-McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Nadal-Federer, and maybe in the future now it looks like again Sinner and you. What do you think about it? Do you think on clay you have one step ahead?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I'm not gonna put myself or the great rivalry that I have with Jannik at some level that those legends. But I think for the people, for the tennis fans, I think it's great to have a matchup from some players that made them excited about watch that match. As you said, it was Borg-McEnroe, Rafa-Roger or Djokovic, the big three against each other.

Right now I think the people are excited every time that I'm facing Jannik. Our matches I think is really high quality of tennis. I think for the people and probably the people who doesn't like watching tennis, I think is something or a match that because of that has started to watch tennis.

Let's see in the future how it's gonna be. Right now for sure I'm not going to put ourselves into that table of that rivalries, but I think for the people are excited about watching our matches.

Q. As a hard-working player, I want to ask you about infusions in general, and the Max Purcell case that everyone knows, he was banned for undergoing two infusions, forbidden matter under the WADA code. ITIA case documents showed that he feigned injury to justify the infusion, and Googled everything also about the limit above 100 milliliters that are allowed. Obviously infusions in general help to recover and to show performance. Do you think in pro tennis this is a problem, infusions, because they are not detectable in normal doping tests?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, honestly, what you told me right now, sounds to me you were talking Chinese. No, no, I mean, I have no idea what you were talking about, so I don't know if it is good or not.

Honestly, I haven't heard that thing in my life. So I can't answer. Sorry.

Q. Last night I think you were at the book presentation of Eric Babolat. You have played with that racquet for 15 years, maybe even longer. How much has changed with the racquet you use? How much do you tinker with it in the offseason, maybe try something different as far as weight goes?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think the world is changing, and obviously the brands. The brands are changing. Babolat has changed a lot.

We were talking yesterday that, you know, since the first racquet that they made, it was Carlos Moya when he won here in the French Open, and I think after that, they have done a really great job just to have better racquets, better strings, better everything.

So right now the racquet that I'm using, they change a little bit. I mean, to feeling the changes sometime is difficult. But yeah, sometimes, you know, when the schedule allow us, I try new things for the next year or two years from now.

But yeah, I think they doing great job which I'm really proud about to help for my performance.

Q. With Jannik coming back from his ban and still being World No. 1 and then reaching the Rome final, I wonder what you think that says about the state of the leading players, the level, do you think it's a strong top 10, top 20?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Say again?

Q. With Jannik coming back and still being No. 1, then reaching the Rome final, what does it say about the level of the other players in top 10, top 20, do you think it's a strong kind of level at the moment?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I think so. I think in general, the top 20, 25, 30, they have really high level of tennis. We could see it right now, for example, Mensik is 20, 21, and he won Miami. That means how strong is the top 30 right now.

I saw Sascha talked about it, because probably, like, 10 years ago, the top 10 was much stronger than now, could be, but in general, the top 30 I think right now is really, really strong.

As I said, right now we have a really open draw that everyone can make really good results or even win the tournament, so I think that's really good for tennis.

Q. Obviously the French Open has night sessions, has done for a few years. It can be quite cold here at night at this time of year. I get the impression you would rather play in the day, in the sun, in the heat. Wondered how strong is your preference here to play day session rather than night session?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I could say my preference if I want to play at day or night. Honestly, I prefer to play at day because I don't really like the cold (smiling), honestly. And obviously when you finish, you finish the match much early, to have a lot of things to do after the match, which is great, you know.

During the night sessions when you finish, everything is super late, treatment, having dinner, and then probably you go to bed 2:00, 3:00 a.m., which is super late.

I don't know how strong, it is my preference. I just give them my feedback what I like to play, and obviously they decide. There are a lot of players who give the tournament the preference, and they have to have a balance to the players. I know that I will play at night some matches, and I have to be ready for that, but I think everyone wants to play at day.

Q. You talked about the draw, but do you know who you are going to play in the first round, right?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yes. Yeah, I know who I'm playing against.

Q. So Kei Nishikori, he always said that he wanted to play against you, and you are kind of motivation for him to come back when he has been sidelined. So can you talk a little bit about your thoughts on this matchup.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Honestly, I'm really excited about facing Nishikori for the first time. I'm watching him play a lot when I was young. I was really happy when he came back again on tour. I know that he has been struggling physically, you know, the last year, you know, a lot of injuries that kept him away from playing for a bit.

Yeah, I just excited. I know when he play good tennis, really tough to beat. So I have to be ready for that, for the first round. Yeah, I'm excited to play against a legend like Nishikori.

Q. We saw yesterday with Dembele at the draw, and you're friendly with a lot of the Spanish footballers. Do you talk with some of your friends who play for Spain about the pressures of being a top athlete, or do you just tend to talk about other stuff, less-serious things?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: With some other athletes, Spanish athletes? Sometimes we discuss and we talk about the difference between the different sports, what they have to do on the field, off the field, or whatever. And I told them that behind the scenes what we have to do, as well. And we compared a little bit.

But we don't talk too much about our sport lives. I really want to know from them about his normal life as a person. So that's what we are talking about every time that I meet, you know, some other friends, athletes.