US OPEN

August 31, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Rinderknech

7-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Carlos, congratulations. We will go right to the questions.

Q. Can you talk about your next opponent. He kind of gives you a hard time several times this year. What can you say about him?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, he's really, really tough. Kind of the same style like Arthur today, more consistency, big shots, big serve.

Yeah, I struggle every time that I played against him. There is no doubt about it. That means really how difficult it's play against him.

It's going to be interesting one. I would say, yeah, played a few times already this year. I won one; he beat me once. So I gotta see what I did good, what I did bad in those matches, just to be ready and to be perfect in the quarterfinal.

Q. I think it's now in your last 12 Grand Slams you've got to the quarterfinals or better in 11 of those, which is incredible consistency. Do you think that's something maybe that's underestimated about you sometimes is maybe how consistent you've been over a long period of time?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, yeah, probably a lot of people have talk about that I am not as consistency as I should be. But at the same times, those stats are really great to know for me, just to see that, you know, that I'm making really good results in the really good tournaments.

Obviously I'm sometimes am really hard with myself that the quarterfinals is not enough, semifinal is not enough sometimes. But you have to see more than their shots, I have to see if I played well, and realize that semifinal or quarterfinal in a Grand Slam is pretty good result, though.

Yeah, and I've been talking a lot about I should be better, you know, consistency, playing much better the matches, or whatever. So I think that's why a lot of people have talk about it, as well.

Q. Earlier in the tournament you talked about how you think about the way things ended last year, that you had that bad taste, and you were focused on it. Now what is going through your mind on the days in between matches and when you're walking on the court?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, right now I'm not thinking about last year anymore. I just going to the court thinking like I'm playing well and just feeling great physically. I just hitting the ball really well, as well.

I'm thinking about playing my best tennis and enjoy, enjoy myself, you know, when I step on the court. That's all I am thinking about when I'm approaching every match.

Obviously, as I said before, trying to follow the goals that I set myself before the match, but apart of that, just trying to enjoy and make the most of the time on court.

Q. Those of us who are mere mortals, we watch a match like today and we see a flawless game, finesse, power. When you wake up tomorrow with Juan Carlos, what are you working on, where do you see the gaps in your game, not just for this tournament, but just moving forward, what are you working on?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: We, the days off between matches, we just approach the practice or trying to approach the practice the same way that I'm going to play during the next match.

For example, yesterday I work about how I should deal with the serve and volley, for example. So tomorrow we will see about Lehecka's game, let's say, and I'm going to approach the practice in that way, just to be more ready as I can for that match and trying to hit the ball well, trying to get a good feeling with the serve, with everything.

Just easy practice, and, you know, saving energy for the quarterfinal.

Q. You're part of this much-celebrated rivalry with Jannik now, and you grew up watching the big three fight it out. What makes for a great rivalry for you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, what makes a really good rivalry? Obviously the matches (smiling). That's the first thing. And, you know, which rounds we will play against each other. I mean, for what we are fighting for, I think that makes a really good rivalry.

Right now Jannik and I we fighting for the No. 1 spot. We fighting for the Grand Slams. We've played two finals already this year. A few Masters 1000 finals. So we fighting for the great things in tennis, and I think that makes a good rivalry.

That's what we are making, making us a really good rivalry and that's what the big three did. They played the Grand Slam final, and they split the No. 1 spot for a really long time. I would say that's what makes a really good rivalry.

Q. After your last match you said you had been watching a lot of series and movies to feel more comfortable. Speaking English, I'm just curious what they were and what they are.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Movies?

Q. Yeah, you said you were watching a lot of series and movies. I wonder which ones they were.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Which ones? I have seen -- well, I've seen, like, for example -- not too many series. I'm more a movie guy (smiling). So, for example, the last one I'm watching is Pulp Fiction, a good one. I know it's old. I know it's old. (Laughter.) But a lot of really good movies that I haven't watched.

The (indiscernible), for example. Good Will Hunting, I love it.

And series, I just watch Suits. Really good one. Long, but really good one. I know it's American movies, so I just getting to listen.