Mutua Madrid Open The new world tennis sensation confesses to MARCA
DAfter reaching glory in Madrid, Carlos Alcaraz was photographed with his team and family, trophy in hand, on the sand of the Manolo Santana track. After his fifth title as a professional, and with the smile that characterizes him, he sat down with MARCA to talk about his brilliant rise, his goals and his life outside the spotlight.
Ask. His coach won in Madrid in 2003, and that same year he came from winning at Roland Garros. He wants to follow in his footsteps?
Response. It’s obviously a good goal. Winning here gives me a lot of confidence ahead of Roland Garros and it’s something I have as my goal. My goal this year is to win a Grand Slam and hopefully it will be in Paris.
Q. What went through your mind when Zverev double-faulted and his win at the Magic Box was confirmed?
R. I have thought of all the effort of the week, both mine and the whole team. In the end there have been complicated days, of going to bed very late, eating regularly and adding the physical problems at the end of the week. I’m very happy.
Q. You signed on camera at the final: “Long live El Palmar and long live Murcia.” Have you thought of the dedications at the end of your matches or do they come out?
R. They leave me at that moment. As I said, this tournament is super special, it’s the first one I came to when I was little. I am a family guy who loves being in Murcia, with family and friends, and I will never lose that essence of knowing where I come from, my club, Palmar, the town where I grew up… only thinking about my origins comes out.
P. Your rival and your victim Zverev commented that Carlos Alcaraz is right now the best tennis player in the world. Do you agree?
R. No, I really don’t think so. For me the best in the world is the one who is number one and is the one who deserves it. Now there is Djokovic, I am six, I have five left to be the best in the world.
Q. You trained with Djokovic earlier in the week and then played an official match against him. What else impressed you?
R. Djokovic is not considered a great server, but, for me, he has been the player who has made it the most difficult for me to return his serve. He didn’t read him the directions of the serve and that’s what impressed me the most. Apart from the great level that he has from the back of the track: it’s one thing to see him on TV and another to have him in front of you.
Q. Your next tournament will be Roland Garros where the matches will be five sets. Do you have special respect for that circumstance that only occurs in the ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments?
R. He doesn’t give me respect at all because I consider myself a player with a good physique. Physically, as we say with my team, I am a bull. I’m not afraid to play five sets against the best, I’m ready. Playing long games I take it as an advantage.
P. He is a drop specialist. Do you see them before doing them? How do they come out?
R. Honestly, Juan Carlos always tells me to have them in mind beforehand, but it’s impossible for me as it’s something that comes naturally to me and comes out instantly. When I make a good shot and I see the other one further back, it comes out on its own. It is something instantaneous.
Q. After you win a title your coach always reminds you that you haven’t tied with anyone. If he says it again, will he shut up or will he answer?
R. I’m going to keep quiet because in the end you’re right. I’m getting pretty big stuff. and quite fast, but I still have players to play and tournaments to win. I have a lot of things to live for, so I haven’t tied with anyone yet.
Q. You have beaten Rafa Nadal on clay, the number one Djokovic… What are your next challenges?
R. Keep winning matches like the ones I won in Madrid, keep winning titles. My goal until the end of the year is to try to win one of the three remaining Grand Slams. It is a great motivation for me and I will fight for it.
P. You keep repeating that you consider yourself a normal boy and that this is not going to change. Does living in El Palmar, in Murcia, in an academy like Equelite help that normality?
R. Totally. I know it’s true that I have to refrain from doing many things when I go out, exposing myself publicly because people get to know me. But in my environment I feel like a normal boy, with my friends, with the family… In Villena I consider myself one more of the academy and I am one more in my group of friends. And that helps me later to be focused on my work, which in this case is tennis.
P. What does he play with his three brothers? Does he beat any of them at something?
R. Sometimes we play Play, we are at home, we also play cards. Every time I go to Murcia it’s non-stop, up and down, friends… And I’m not at home that much. But whenever I have time I play with my brothers.
Q. Your two passions between matches are napping and chess. Has he given you time to do both during the Mutua Madrid Open?
R. Play chess a little, but always take a nap. You always find the hole and we make the schedules and then take a nap.
P. You have commented that your goal is to win one of the greats this season. As a child, did you dream of someone in particular?
R. When I was little I saw myself winning Roland Garros. Now I have played all four and I have experienced all four and the truth is that they are spectacular and I have liked them very much. I like Wimbledon because of the essence it has, the elegance of the tournament… What can I say about New York and my first quarterfinals there. It was super special. I cannot say one in particular that I would like to win more than another. I would like to win them all.
Q. Does it make you dizzy how fast everything is going?
R. Not at all. I am a boy who assimilates things well and who is clear about his goal, which is to be number one in the world. I have not yet achieved it, although I know it is true that these triumphs must be enjoyed. It is good to disconnect and enjoy. But I’m not coming out on top to win or be getting what I’m getting very fast. I am clear that I must continue working to achieve my dream, which is to be number one.
Q. You just turned 19. Do you spend many hours like the rest of the boys your age looking at the phone and on social networks?
R. I know that it is something that Juan Carlos tells me a lot, that I spend a lot of time on the phone and on social networks. It is something that I have to improve and know how to disconnect from time to time. I know I’m a guy who uses the phone a lot.
P. You always comment that you don’t like comparisons with Rafa Nadal, but you were seen at the awards ceremony biting the Madrid trophy like he does.
R. I didn’t want to bite the trophy, but the photographers told me to bite it. It was a thing of the photographers and I, although I didn’t want to, listened to them.
