QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 17, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/A. Rinderknech

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Start with English questions, please. Carlos, how did you feel out there in the first match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I think it was a great level. It's always, I'm going to say, a nightmare, playing the first round against Rinderknech, to be honest. But I had, I think we put up great points. I'm just happy with the way that I just performed today. Yes, it's a positive first round, and hopefully keep it going and keep it going in the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. You never lost against him, but clearly his game is a bit annoying for yours. Can you just maybe explain why he's putting you into kind of uncomfortable situations?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I think all our matches are always really tight. I'm going to say it's just about the tennis. Every match that I played against him it was all about the tennis. So he has a really, I don't know, I'm going to say an annoying game. Because, I mean, with the serve, trying to go all the time to the net. He's really big, you know, and then in the net he covered a lot of the court, so it's really difficult when he comes to the net making the passing shot. His ball is coming really flat, so sometimes really difficult to control the ball.

There's a lot of things that make his game really difficult to play against and control the situation. So it feels like you got to run, you got to defend well if you want to have opportunities against him. I think every match that I played against him I defend pretty well, I just make great passing shots, and the serve is a great weapon. So just happy that I was able to do it, and that's why he's really, or at least for me, really difficult every time that I play against him.

Q. I want to ask you, when you play matches, there is history on the line, there is too much history on the line. Every time you play Jannik, obviously every game means a lot. The Australian Open final, this time for you and Djokovic, this was a match that could probably change the history of tennis forever. Thankfully, every time you seem to be coming out on top, especially when matches go to five sets, until the very last mile. So how do you mentally prepare for such matches, and how do you mentally, you know, do you think about what's going to happen, if I'm going to lose, or do you think about what's going to happen if I'm going to win? How do you approach such big events?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, first of all, I'm just trying to think about what I'm playing for. That's the first thing. Just, okay, obviously it is a final, it is a really important match against a really difficult, important player. But, you know, I think the most important thing is you have to set up some goals on the match, you know, what you're going to do. The weaknesses, you know, that the other player has, and trying to attack to that side a little bit more.

Obviously there are some moments in the match that you feel the pressure. You feel like you got to do this moment if you want to be up in the match. Trying to feel comfortable. I could say that the most, one of the most important things as well is to feel comfortable with the situation. It doesn't matter if you have been through a really difficult moment in the match, or you're playing for such an important moment or an important match, you have to feel comfortable with that. You want to accept that moment, and trying to play your best.

That's what I'm thinking all the time. Just, all right, I was born for these moments, and I just want to show the people in these moments I am one of the best.

Q. You said the other day that you were impatient to see how warm the welcome would be here for your return. What did you think about the atmosphere here tonight?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it was great. It wasn't full, but the people were great. I'm just grateful and happy with the support and the people who came to watch the match. I know it's Ramadan right now, so probably, you know, it's more difficult, that the people can't come to the matches. But I'm just happy to see a lot of people coming to the event, coming to the match. Hopefully in the next matches, you know, having such a great and amazing crowd again.

Q. Your goal for the year was to win the Australian Open and complete the career Grand Slam. Now you've done that. What are your goals for the rest of the year?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, there are a lot of Masters 1000s, there are three Grand Slams, the Masters, the Davis Cup. There are a lot of important things for me, you know. I'm just trying to prepare myself as best as I can for those events. Yeah, I will try to not have too many losses this year. I'll try to get as much tournaments as I can. That's my goal. I'm really ambitious. I don't want to lose. I don't want to feel that feeling of losing.

But mostly for me it's just, set up some goals on the way that I just want to play, and then the things that I really want to improve, and trying to chase that, and feeling that I'm doing the right things.

Q. I want to ask you how happy are you about your performance today, and at the same time, what combination got you to win today for your match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I mean, it's a few weeks since the last match that I played officially. I'm just really happy with the way that I've been practicing. So by coming here and, you know, competing again, I was thinking that probably I was going to feel like a little bit out of the feeling of the competition. But I'm just happy of everything that I've done today. It was a difficult one that I just got through.

I tried to just do the things that I just had to do, and then my coach told me that I had to do. I think that I did everything really well. You know, a few things that I really want to improve for the next round, but I'm just happy.