Alcaraz: "In moments of pressure is where the great athletes are seen"

Carlos Alcaraz accepts any kind of challenge that comes his way in this Roland Garros. Despite having, at first glance, a less demanding section of the draw compared to the rest after the eliminations of Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas, the reality is that the Spaniard has had to work hard in his last three matches. Both Fabian Marozsan and Damir Dzumhur took a set from him, and especially the Bosnian made things difficult for him. Now, in the round of 16, Ben Shelton pushed him to roll up his sleeves, even though the American usually struggles to bring out his best tennis on clay.

However, the defending champion showed champion character, knew how to endure, and when it mattered, he found the necessary composure to advance to the quarterfinals of Roland Garros with a 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory. Regarding his tough match against Shelton, his upcoming duel against Tommy Paul, the improvement in mental strength, and handling pressure in crucial moments, he spoke in the post-match press conference.

The key to winning the first set

"It was very important to win that first set. It was very tight. He had set points. He could have won the set, so it would have been even tougher if I had lost it. But I was very happy to continue like this after such a hard first set and to have played a great match, at a high level, and to secure the victory in four sets."

Knowing how to play against big servers

"Honestly, I don't remember the first top server I played against when I joined the tour. I remember that initially I didn't like playing against Zverev, for instance, or those guys who have a big serve and play solid from the baseline. I didn't want to face them at first. Right now, I don't mind, honestly, because I trust in my return. For example, today I felt very good at returning, so it didn't cause me any trouble. I've learned to play against these players, and right now I feel very comfortable."

Happy with his game displayed during this Roland Garros

"I think everything is going in the right direction. Today I was very focused and tried to showcase my good tennis, playing aggressively and hitting good shots. At first, playing at that level was difficult for me. I tried to play more solid than aggressive. Probably, I made some silly mistakes that forced me to go all out all the time. I found the right path in the match. I tried to continue in that direction, but yes, tennis is like that. In one round you play against an opponent and in the next against a completely different one, so you have to adapt to the opponent's game. Above all, I try to focus on myself all the time."

About his next rival, Tommy Paul

"I remember that all the matches I've played against him have been very tough. It was really challenging. In Grand Slams, in Masters 1000 events, and in all the tournaments I've played against him, it hasn't been easy. I've lost many matches to him. He's in the quarterfinals of another Grand Slam, so his level is very high right now. He's very confident, I'm sure. It's going to be a very interesting match. I'll try to move forward, trying to be better. I'll try to learn from the mistakes I made today. I won't make the same ones against Tommy, but I think it's going to be a very interesting match for the fans to watch because every time we play against each other, we also raise our level. We have very good rallies, good points. So, I think it's going to be very interesting to watch. It's going to be a good quarterfinal."

About Shelton's clay-court game

"I think he has a great game on clay. I think he has understood how to play on clay, and I think he can perform at a high level on clay. Today he showed what he's capable of on clay or any surface. Yes, he grew up playing on hard courts or another surface, but I think he has been on the tour for a few years now and is understanding how to play on clay as well. We will see a great level from Ben on clay in the future."

Happy to navigate through tough moments

"I'm satisfied with my tennis at this Roland Garros. There have been matches with difficult and challenging feelings. The journey is never easy and you always have to deal with tough situations. But I'm happy with how I'm playing."

Shelton's sportsmanship

"Shelton is an incredible person, off the court we get along very well. Obviously, on the court there are no friends and both of us want to win, but one of the great things to show is that you also need to know how to lose and accept defeat. It's appreciated that Ben accepted the defeat as he did. These are very beautiful moments, regardless of who wins."

Handling pressure

"I identify with what Luis Enrique said. It's true that tennis players can feel pressure more often over a match or a tournament. In pressure moments is where great athletes are distinguished by how they manage it. Ultimately, that's the big difference between a great athlete and a good one. And I always remind myself that in those moments, I have to give extra, give something more without fear."

Seeking greater consistency

"I'm always learning. One of the things I'd like to improve is consistency, but we are maintaining a high level for a long time and seeking solutions when things don't go well, instead of getting angry and not thinking. That's something I've been learning over time, I'm 22 years old and it was time to mature a bit, and the good thing is that I'm clear about it. This year, I've taken a step forward in mental strength and hope to continue taking small steps in that area. But in this tournament, I've handled tough situations very well."

Managing negative thoughts

"In a match like today's three and a half hours long, there's time for many thoughts. There have been moments when things didn't go well for me, and my mind gets angry and negative thoughts come. The good thing is that I try not to let them last long, to make them fleeting, and to be as calm and peaceful as possible to think clearly. In the end, body language and positive self-talk help a lot to overcome difficult situations. It's very important and I try to do it at all times. In today's match there were both, bad moments in my head and in my game, but I'm happy that they didn't last long and I was able to dismiss them and focus on positive thoughts for a large part of the match," says an Alcaraz who is increasingly better at handling tense moments and knows how to endure when things don't go well. For now, he's already in the quarterfinals, but the Spaniard wants his second Roland Garros title.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz: "En los momentos de presión es donde se ve a los grandes deportistas"