Alcaraz: "Thanks to this type of matches, people become fans of tennis"

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Carlos Alcaraz has regained his smile. The vivacity, fluidity, clarity, the feeling of overpowering his opponent when he activates the turbo. The Murcian put the seal on a magnificent tournament at the 2024 ATP Beijing by defeating his current top rival, Jannik Sinner, in a final that goes straight to the Hall of Fame of 2024. It is an almost soothing title for the one from El Palmar, who, in a press conference, confessed the difficulties he went through after his defeats in the North American tour and emphasized the mental work he did with Juan Carlos Ferrero to regain hunger and motivation.

- Where would you place this incredible final in your rivalry and previous duels with Sinner?

"I will start by saying that when Jannik and I face each other, I think it's great for tennis: we always have a very intense, close match, with great points and exchanges. I think thanks to these kinds of matches, people who don't watch tennis start watching matches and even training. That, I think, is great. I try to enjoy to the fullest when I face Jannik, but it's not easy.

Right now, I am very happy. When you are able to beat one of the best, if not the best player in the world, you feel like you are doing everything right, that you are doing a great job. I am very proud of everything I have done in the last month, working very hard physically and on the court. It has been a very intense month, but I am happy to finish it with the title here in Beijing after a truly amazing match. Both of us displayed a very high level of tennis, also mentally and physically, running until the last ball, moving from side to side, with great points in the tiebreak of the third set. I am very happy to have achieved victory."

- The incredible tiebreak you played, winning seven points in a row to close the match

"We were coming from a very tight match. Jannik could have won it in two sets, I could have won it in two as well. I had my opportunities in the first set, but I didn't take advantage of them. I am very happy with how I dealt with that moment. I lost the first set after having many chances. I didn't make it. I tried to clear my mind a bit and start the second set playing at the level I showed in the first.

In the end, everything was very close. In the tiebreak, I thought about Sinner's statistics in tiebreaks, I think he hadn't lost any of the last 18 or 15 tiebreaks, something like that. I thought: 'Okay, I will try not to lose another tiebreak', but it was difficult. The first two points with my serve were very close: from there, I stayed focused, tried not to think about anything other than the next point. I wanted to play as always: if I fail, I fail, but I wanted to feel that I gave it my all on every point. That's what truly matters."

- On the emotional image of Ferrero, crying on the bench after your victory

"I didn't see him cry. It's good to know, I guess (laughs). Yes, it has been a very special victory for me. It is special to lift this title in front of my team and part of my family. I suppose he got emotional because we know what we have been through in the last two months. We have experienced difficult moments both on and off the court. As I said in my speech, thanks to my team, I began to regain the excitement of playing matches and training; I started to feel motivated again. I wanted to travel and compete in tournaments again.

After the North American tour, I felt a little down, didn't want to touch a racket for a while, didn't want to travel. Then we talked a lot during those days, knowing that I had to get back to training, to be physically stronger, to be mentally stronger to overcome those moments. In the last month, we have been working very hard both on and off the court to be able to experience a moment like this again. That's why I think he got emotional; this has been a special moment for both me and the people around me."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz: "Gracias a este tipo de partidos la gente se aficiona al tenis"