US OPEN

September 2, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/J. Lehecka

6-4, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When Jiri came into press earlier, he said that he felt like he met Grand Slam Carlos today, and I'm just curious what you make of that concept, if you do feel like you bring an extra edge to these Grand Slam tournaments.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Who say that?

Q. Jiri.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Ah, Jiri. Well, I mean, it feels great hearing those words from my opponent today. Playing great and feeling really comfortable, as I said many times this tournament.

I think today I just played a really -- or almost perfect match, I would say. So playing a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, I'm feeling that way. It seems like, okay, just two more steps to do, and let's see what happens. But yeah, I just feeling great and hungry to make it.

Q. As you've been on this sort of run with making all these finals, how important has the continued development of your serve been throughout all of this, because I think a lot of us have noticed that is probably the biggest change in your game over the last year?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I mean, I've been improving myself a lot, and just every practice, every match I've been trying to feel more comfortable with the movement, with hitting good serves, and the percentage as well for me, it's really important.

Tennis, it's really hard sometimes, because one day you can serve really, really well, and the next match you can feel completely different and really bad. So I'm trying to maintain the focus on the serve, just trying to do everything the same and getting the good feeling.

But yeah, so far the serve has been really important to me, to my game. Hopefully keep improving and keep feeling better with it.

Q. When you are making shots as difficult as the ones you were making today, what does that say about the way you're feeling, your confidence, just the fact that you were able to complete so many of those difficult shots?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I don't know. I mean, I'm trying. I'm trying. Sometimes I lose a lot of points, because if I'm trying the good shot or the impossible one, some of them happened. Yeah, when it gets in, you feel like super great. I mean, I have to be honest. It feels like I made it, and it gives you a lot of confidence. I mean, it's always a good path when you are making it.

But it's about trying. Sometimes happens; sometimes not. I'm happy that most of the time it happens, the shots.

Q. When you are playing at that level and we're watching, you can almost see a change in your body language, like you're walking with a little bit of attitude. Do you feel that at all when you are on the court when things are going right that even between points there's a little bit of a different...

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, between points it's really important as well. We're playing two kind of matches at the same time. It is the match of playing, the points and whatever, and the match that behind the scenes, let's say, so the body language. How you show the opponents how you feel is really important.

Doesn't matter if you feel exhausted, you feel really tired, you feel like you cannot keep it going. But if you show the opponent you're fresh, you're able to play two, three, more hours, to play long rallies, it's giving him the mindset of this is going to be really tough.

So for me the way that I walk between points, with attitude, with like I'm fresh, I'm really good physically, I think it's really important to show the opponent that they are going to sweat a lot, and they are going to have to run a lot if he wants to beat me.

Q. That's really interesting you talking there about the body language and things like that, because I think Novak is someone who does that very well. I think when you played at the Australian Open there was quite a lot of looking at one another, and you know, was he injured. You could play him on Friday, and just wondered how you would feel about going into that match and I guess the psychological element of it as well.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, he has a really difficult match to play before, so I don't want to talk or have an early talk about my opponent Friday. It is a really good match to watch, Novak against Fritz. Both are playing great, so I'm going to watch it.

So I don't want to say anything about my opponents until I know them, because I have to respect them. I will watch the match, and let's see on Friday.

Q. Can you talk about them both?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I mean, both are playing great. Novak, we all know Novak's game. It doesn't matter that he has been out of the tour since Wimbledon. Playing great matches here. I know he's hungry. I know his ambition for more, so let's see.

I know I played a lot of times against him. I really want to revenge. That's obviously.

And Fritz, he's really tough as well. He's playing at home with the crowd behind him supporting him. He's going to make that to his favor, and the shots he has is unbelievable as well. He's really tough. So really interesting to watch.

Q. You're playing Sergio García tomorrow. You talk about golf a lot. Can you just give us some insight into how you started, what's your handicap, what's your aspiration? Could you have been a golfer, not a tennis player?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, first of all, yeah, I started to play at the beginning of 2020. I just love playing. I used to go to hit some balls in the driving range when I was really, really young. I liked it, but since 2020, I just started to play more, to go on the course, to play some holes.

I just fell in love with golf. I started to play more and more and more. I saw myself improving, so it engaged me even more to the golf, and it has me.

I just feel really peaceful when I go out and playing some golf on the golf course. Yeah, tomorrow Sergio is here with David as well, so we are going to play some golf. I will try to learn from them. My handicap right now is 14. It's getting down, but it takes time.

I mean, for me it's a privilege to have time to play some golf, to be honest.