THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2025

Oliver Tarvet

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/O. Tarvet

6-1, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Oliver, give us your thoughts on the experience playing on Centre Court against Carlos.

OLIVER TARVET: Yeah, I mean, it was just really special. It's not every day that you get to play against maybe the best player in the world. So yeah, it was really important for me going into the match to enjoy it, enjoy the opportunity, because, as I said, it's not one that comes around too often.

I think I did a pretty good job of kind of enjoying the moment and trying to also play some good tennis at the same time.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In the first set, the scoreline didn't give any reflection of how close the match was. What was the biggest thing you learned about the differences between the players you play against and you, and someone like him?

OLIVER TARVET: Yeah, I mean, I think just a big difference, something I learned today, was just how difficult mentally it is. I've played against some really good players before, but not quite the level of Alcaraz.

I feel like as soon as I had 95% focus, I lost a game. You saw that today when I made a big emotional push to break him twice, and then I got broken to love straight back. It was because I gave everything, kind of emptied the tank for that game to break him. Then you have to hold. Again, it's just really, really difficult to keep that 100% focus and 100% intensity.

I feel like maybe I was playing at a level, well, yeah, I can say that, a level I'm not used to sustaining. I feel like, in parts, I have that level. It's just really tough.

If I wanted to beat Alcaraz today, I'd have to be out there for five hours. To mentally and physically maintain that level is really difficult. It's something that I'm going to work on. I feel like, in parts, I have the level, but I don't think I can sustain it for, clearly, as long as Alcaraz can.

Q. Were you nervous? You didn't look to be. Was it perhaps the best day of your life?

OLIVER TARVET: Yeah, obviously there were a lot of nerves. I've said before that I try and treat every match as the same, try and play the ball, not the player or the situation.

As much I tried to do that today, I woke up a couple times in the night from the adrenaline. In the car, my heart rate was going quicker than it usually does.

But yeah, obviously there were nerves. A big emphasis, as I said, was to enjoy the moment and enjoy the opportunity because it doesn't come around too often. I think I did a pretty good job of that.

I kind of knew that the first set might be difficult because it's not a stage that I'm used to. As I said before, even though the scoreline was 6-1, I still had break points in three games. I definitely had chances. I think that should give me confidence that I was competing. Credit to him, he plays the big points just incredibly well. Yeah, I mean, that's the difference. You kind of feel like you're in the set, you lose it 6-1, it's tough.

But yeah, going back to your last question, even though it was not the result that I wanted today, it was definitely the most special day of my life.

Q. After today, are you considering whether or not to quit college? Is there any chance that we will see you play the US Open?

OLIVER TARVET: No, I mean, nothing has changed based on the last 10 days. I still want to go back to the University of San Diego. The amount of dedication and passion and devotion that the coaches, the head coach, Ryan Keckley, the assistant coach, Alex Funkhouser, who has been with me this whole journey, and second assistant, Carlos Bracho. Not just them, my teammates and everybody working behind the scenes has been incredible.

I have a lot of personal goals that I still haven't achieved as a team at USD. As much as I have professional goals, college has been such a big part of my career, part of my life. There's definitely some things that I want to achieve before I go full-time.

I think as much, as I said, I feel like I have the level, like, in parts, I think I can have glimpses of playing really well. It's just sustaining it. I think I have a few creases in my game I need to iron out. If you give me a year, especially with the coaches that we have at USD, I think I'll be in a much better spot a year on than I am now to sustain that level in order to maybe get a few more games off Alcaraz, be able to do this week in, week out.

As great as it is for doing it a week-and-a-half in a year, producing a good level, you have to do it 30, 35 weeks of the year. As much as I have confidence in myself, it's just a very difficult thing to be doing, is playing good tennis week in, week out.

Q. You mentioned the mental difference. I wondered about the technical difference. Could you feel the speed and the extra speed and spin on the ball?

OLIVER TARVET: Yeah, of course. I remember when I missed the first serve, the guy is on the baseline. It's an intimidating place to be hitting a second serve with Alcaraz there. He's just ready to make you run.

But yeah, I feel like a thing is he's so effortless. It doesn't feel like he's hitting the ball that hard, but it comes through so quick and so heavy.

I think especially my backhand held up for the most part. I think I've still got a few things to iron on out in my forehands. Alcaraz has just incredible form and he's so strong, technically sound and balanced. I think I can do it, but I just can't sustain it for as long as Alcaraz can, or other players can.

But yeah, I definitely think as much as Alcaraz is mentally incredible, obviously his tennis speaks for itself. You can't have one without the other if you want to be maybe the best tennis player in the world. You've got to have pretty much everything spot on.

Credit to him, he's done an incredible job, and his coach, with his coaches and his team. He's such a complete tennis player.

Yeah, it's tough. It's tough playing Alcaraz. You know it's going to be a really long day.

Q. What were you hoping for when you first came to Wimbledon this year? What have you learned most about yourself?

OLIVER TARVET: I mean, I wasn't necessarily hoping for anything. Like, I was more just hoping...my kind of goal for going into the first round of qualifying was just to play my brand of tennis. It was a great opportunity for me. I'm really grateful for the LTA and the All England Lawn Tennis Club for giving me the opportunity into qualifying. Having that faith in me. Hopefully I proved that I was worth that wild card and that chance.

But yeah, I kind of just took it match by match. I was just hoping that I was going to go out there and play my brand of tennis, not let the moment get too big. I think I did a good job of that for the five matches.

What was your last question?

Q. What did you learn most about your yourself?

OLIVER TARVET: Most about myself is just how powerful the mind is. I feel statistically or on paper, I wasn't supposed to win some of the matches that I won, but I feel like I backed myself against those guys. Even on paper, the odds were against me. I think I just realized there's a lot of power in kind of having that confidence in yourself that, regardless of the stage, the situation, that at the end of the day, I feel like I work hard at USD. I show up every day and I feel like I try and give it my best. I feel like when you have that mentally, kind of, in your mind that you've worked hard and that you deserve to be here, you can really go out there and back yourself, whoever you're playing, or whatever stage your playing in.

Q. You spoke before about how you journal to keep your mind focused. I saw you opened your journal earlier. Could you tell us what was written in there?

OLIVER TARVET: I can't tell you what was written in there.

It's just triggers for me that help me focus on what's important. As I said, it's kind of keeping me grounded and keeping me levelheaded. I knew especially today, it was going to be really important for me.

If I lose focus for a game or a couple points or I find myself in a tough situation, I kind of go back to what's in my notes and try and kind of reset, just refocus on what's important.

I'm not going to go into the details of what I write down, but it's just things and reminders that help me just get in the right head space and regroup, if necessary.

It's been really powerful for me. I think I've also tried to implement it, our coaches into our team at USD, because I think there's a lot of power in it. Valuing the mind, there's a lot of power in that, as well. It's just something that I find helps me a lot.

Q. You just said you treat every match the same. It must be an incredibly special feeling to walk out onto Centre Court at Wimbledon. A lot of talk about the prize money, £99,000. There are rules you can't quite take that home. Any more thought as to what the expenses might be between now and the end of the year?

OLIVER TARVET: No. I mean, I'm going to do everything that I can to keep my eligibility. My coaches and the admission team at USD are figuring that out and will make that happen, do the necessary things.

I haven't given much thought of it, but I'm confident that we'll meet the guidelines.

What was your first question again?

Q. Talk us through the feeling of walking on Centre Court in front of 50,000 people.

OLIVER TARVET: Obviously, it was pretty special. It's not every day that you get to do that. As I said, I just tried to make the most of it.

Going back to your point of kind of treating every match as the same, as I said, it was difficult to do that today. Again, I feel like it was something that I really valued and focused on today, just kind of getting out of my own way mentally and just allowing kind of me to play tennis and not kind of letting nerves get in the way, letting my mind get in the way, just being free and playing the tennis I'm capable of.

As I said, I think I did a pretty good job today of that.