HSBC CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 17, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Queens Club

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Walton

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Well played. Saw you before the match, and obviously it was really late that you knew your opponent. How difficult is it to adjust? Seems like you didn't know much about him at all. How much do you learn in that time, and how much do you trust your level and what you put on the court?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, of course, I had to delete everything my coach told me at the beginning (smiling). Yeah, I'm not gonna say it's too difficult to adjust everything, because, I mean, as tennis players, we have to get used to the conditions pretty quick in everything.

So I just changed my mind a little bit, but what is difficult is to play against someone that I didn't know that much. I didn't know his game, which shot is his best.

So I didn't know how to approach the match, you know, in that way. What I try is not to think about him. It's just think about myself, about my game, try to play as good as I can. And that's all.

I think I did it pretty well, but the adjustment that I did, it wasn't too much.

Q. How did you find the center court, given that it's the second week that you're playing on it?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it's pretty good, honestly, because obviously same from last year, two years ago, it was quite different, because, you know, the girls didn't play the first week. So on grass, as less as you touch the grass, is much better. But honestly, one week playing and coming this week, I found the court pretty good.

Quite fast, obviously. Honestly, as time to get used to it, as much time as I spend on court, I will feel comfortable, but the court was pretty good, as always.

Q. Carlos, you're playing with Emma Raducanu at the US Open, mixed doubles. How did that come about? And who is going to be the boss on court?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: She's gonna be the boss (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, US Open came to us and give us opportunities to play mixed doubles. I'm super excited about it. I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament.

Yeah, I know Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have really good relationship with her. So it's just gonna be interesting.

You know, obviously both, you know, we are gonna enjoy, for sure. I will try, you know, to put my doubles skill on it. We will try to win. But obviously it's going to be really, really fun.

Q. I was just talking to Adam, and he was saying it was a pleasure to share the court with you. What did you say to him afterwards? What did you think about how he played?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, I told him he played great. It was a great level. Honestly, a surprise, surprised myself with the level he played today. It was really tough. Sometimes I didn't know if it was about me that I didn't play good or it was about him that he was playing great.

My coach told me that Adam surprised him, as well. The ranking doesn't show the level he has, for sure.

So I'd say it was on grass. The grass season is pretty short. But I don't know his game on other surfaces, but, I mean, I found him pretty good level.

Q. Another question on the US Open mixed doubles. Did you make a special request to play with Emma?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah. I mean, the tournament told us about the tournament, the mixed tournament. I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.

Q. Did she give you an immediate yes, or did she keep you waiting for a while?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: She took a while (laughter).

No, not that much, not that much. But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't a minute, so...

Q. Social media, abusive messages, when you receive them, particularly from gamblers.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah.

Q. It's a topic which a lot of players have faced. Do you receive them yourself, do you see them yourself, and if you do see them, how do you react and forget about them?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I receive them. Obviously when you lost, you receive a lot of messages. Some of them are pretty good; some of them are pretty bad.

I prefer not to think about that. I learn when I lose not to see the social media that much, because sometimes when I did it, when I lose a match in the first round or a match that I have not to lost, could have not to lost, and I saw the message, yeah, affect me a lot.

Sometimes difficult to deal with it. So I learned with experience that when I lose or the things are not going pretty good not to see the social media that much.

The players, I have seen a lot of players that have received a lot of messages from the gamblers, from the people. It is the same, honestly, that we have to live with it, but, you know, as professional athletes, we have to deal with it the best way possible.

If I have to give an advice, not to see the social media when the things are not go pretty well, because people sometimes can be really dangerous.