LAVER CUP

September 26, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz

Tim Henman

O2 Arena

Team Europe

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/T. Fritz

6-3, 4-6, 13-11

Team Europe - 5

Team World - 5

THE MODERATOR: Hello, Tim. Hello, Carlos. Congratulations on the huge win and securing the points for Team Europe.

We saw you looking across at the bench a lot during the match. How much did it help having Yannick and your teammates there for their energy and their support throughout the match?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it's great, because they remind me that it's not a singles match. I'm playing for my team. I'm playing for them, as well.

And having them, they are always supporting, cheering me up. And seeing them sometimes in those really stressful situation help me to stay calm and think what I have to do, which is great.

I'm just really happy for them, and also, I'm really happy to get them the win, because I think it was really important, seeing how the day was going, you know, having this important win, I think, helps the team a lot with the confidence and obviously for the excitement of every match, for doubles and I would say for tomorrow's match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congrats. Great win. I was just hoping you could talk about the level of the ball-striking in that match. It felt like both sides of the net, you guys were just hitting ball at a really high level. Kind of reminded me of your match with Ben in New York. Just tell me how it felt out there level-wise.

CARLOS ALCARAZ: You know, to be honest, I wasn't surprised about Taylor's level. I think both of us played great tennis. The speed of the ball, the intensity we have been hitting the ball in every aspect I think was really, really high.

I think this court, these balls, suits pretty well to have long rallies, to have more times to get a good position and hit the ball in the right point of the racquet. I think that's great for the fans to watch.

But, you know, in terms of level, yeah, I'm just really happy to be able to play these kind of matches to see what is my level or to see what I have to improve, that I just took couple of things that I really wanted to put, you know, on the practices.

But, yeah, I'm just leaving the court really, really happy with everything I've done. And obviously with the things I have been practicing so far, I did it pretty well today.

Q. You looked healthy today. US Open, you were serving a little bit slower than your normal. Today it seemed like you had that juice back in your game. Definitely looked like you were having fun out there, bringing your normal energy. Where do you feel like you are now from your time off, the recovery until now?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, it was really important to me, the week and a half or two weeks that I had after the US Open was really important for me, that I took off almost a week without touching my racquet to recover the body well after such demanding matches physically in the US Open. I did a lot of physical work that I needed, to be honest.

So right now I'm just, you know, slowly, I'm getting back to my normal rhythm, to my normal level in terms of, you know, tennis-wise and physically.

And, yeah, the serve has been a really important weapon so far for me, so I've been practicing a lot and made couple of small changes that, you know, as long as I could see nobody notice that, which is great, so it's been working out.

Q. About the man that this tournament is named after, what are your thoughts on Rod Laver's legacy? Have you had much chance to talk to him over the course of this tournament?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, obviously Rod is still on the tour there sometimes that we could see him enjoying the matches, which is great.

But, you know, besides this tournament, I don't have the chance to talk to him, so I trying to make the most of the time that I'm here in the Laver Cup to talk a little bit with him. It's great.

Obviously I just haven't watched him, obviously (smiling), but having such a legend, someone that inspired a lot of people to watch, to play tennis, it's been great.

So having such a legend around, and for me being able to be around him and for the players to be around him, I think it's such a privilege. So I'm just really happy that this event is happening and he's coming, supportive, of course.

Q. Congratulations on a nail-biting game. Of course the Laver Cup is such a unique tournament. Carlos, I know you've mentioned you really enjoy playing doubles. Can we expect more doubles from Carlos Alcaraz after this tournament is over?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Who knows? Obviously I play with a lot of intensity, physically, and I'm a really explosive player, that I have really explosive movements, so very time I finish a match, I just try to make the most of the time I have to recover my body and be ready and be in a good shape for the next match.

So if, let's say, if I kill that time that I have to recover to play doubles and put the body to more stressful situation, I think doesn't help too much for my singles career that I just really want to be good at.

But who knows? You know, there are a couple of swings that a lot of tournaments that I could play, because I love it and I try to use it as much as I can to improve my level then back into the singles part.

So who knows in the future, but I'm going to consider it, for sure.

Q. Yesterday we saw you gave to Casper Ruud some very specific tactical and technical advices, for example, about dropshots. Today, in some really key moments during the breaks, he was the most intense to give you some advices, as well. Can you share a bit what kind of advices he gave you?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, was important (smiling). You know, I think that's what the Laver Cup brings, you know, for the fans and for the people and for myself. The players can approach the bench and say tactics things to you, and I think that's great.

Yeah, he was telling me that, you know, from outside I have to be more calm, because, you know, they were watching, let's say they were watching the rallies really good, and sometimes, you know, on court I feel really stressful that I have to overplay sometimes and play big all the shots all the time that I don't need to.

You know, from outside, you know, him approaching the bench and telling me that they were seeing the match a totally different way that I was seeing and telling me I have to be more positive because I was better than him, having better shots than him, so I have to play smart, not overplay, and try to get into the rhythm.

You know, coming from a match tiebreak and having those advice from a player like him, it was really meaningful and really helpful.