“Even if Rafael Nadal had been there, I would not have given myself less of a chance of winning,” said Carlos Alcaraz, world No.1 and main favorite at Roland-Garros with Novak Djokovic in the absence of the king of the earth. beaten, Friday two days from the Parisian Grand Slam. Appeared in front of the press during the traditional “media day”, Alcaraz did not hide his ambitions, he who won his first major tournament at the US Open last September and became, in the process, n°1 worldwide for the first time in his career.
“I don’t feel more pressure because I’m world No.1 or seeded No.1. I know very well why I’m here, what I have to do, how I have to play, feel: not so much focus on wanting to get a good result to stay N.1 or something like that, but playing my play, have fun, he explains. And from there, the good results will come. I would say that I am more mature than last year, mentally I am better, and I read better what is happening on the court, for me it is really important. »
Winner in Barcelona then Madrid before losing in Rome in the second round against Marozsan, Alcaraz arrives at Roland with a clay-court campaign behind him. And knows, even if he says the opposite, that the absence of Nadal changes everything. “Obviously when Rafa is here, in what is his tournament, it’s more complicated… But I’ve always said that I’ve never been afraid of anyone, and even if he had been there, I wouldn’t wouldn’t have given me less of a chance of winning the tournament. I’m ambitious like that… And like I said, I don’t feel that much pressure either because the eyes are more on me now, in Rafa’s absence. »
