Alcaraz: "I was nervous, I don't want to repeat what I did last year"

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 28 Aug 2025 | 03.41

Alcaraz: "I was nervous, I don't want to repeat what I did last year." Photo: Getty

Streaming ATP Rome live tennis

🎾 Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

Statement of intent from Carlos Alcaraz who does not release the accelerator in this US Open 2025. The Spanish player, currently ranked number two in the ATP Ranking, advanced firmly towards the third round with an impressive three-set victory over Mattia Bellucci.

The player from Murcia impressed especially with his powerful forehand, as well as drop shots. Minutes after his recent triumph, Carlos Alcaraz spoke to the media in the press conference, where he shared his feelings and talked about the key aspects from the return game.

"Today I played a very solid match. I set some goals before the match, and I think I did pretty well. I need to improve on some things that I didn't do as well as I wanted, but overall, I'm very happy. He didn't play his best match, I know, but overall I'm happy to have moved on to the next round."

Keys to having a good return

"Ball anticipation is very important, just really focusing on it. The return has been a major goal for me, just to be really good at it and keep improving. The return is the shot with which you start the point. If you make a good return, you put yourself in an attacking position, and I like to be in that position as much as possible. I place a lot of importance on it in every practice, every match, just to be good, and I pay attention to the statistics of my return. I try to do it every day."

The consistency of his tennis

"I'm playing excellent tennis tournament after tournament and I feel I can perform at my best in every match. Obviously, I have my ups and downs. There are matches I don't win or where I don't feel quite right, but I try to survive those matches and give myself another chance in the next round.

What I learned from this period is that taking a few days between tours or tournaments helped me a lot to arrive with a lot of energy, with a fresh mind, to perform at my best. I think I've done very well. So far, this is the period where I have been most consistent".

Which memory is more present: your US Open title or your defeat from last year?

"When I lost last year, to be honest, because it's more recent. I have very good memories of when I won here, I saw some photos from 2022. I thought about last year when I entered the court. I had some bad thoughts. I was nervous, thinking that I didn't want the same thing to happen as a year ago, when I lost in the second round. I just thought about it a little, but I'm very happy to have progressed and have another chance in the third round. My thoughts have focused more on last year than on my victory in 2022.

It's more recent, and I simply don't want to repeat what I did last year. I just want to improve, and negative thoughts, whether from people in general or myself, weigh more than positive thoughts, or negative thoughts have more power than positive ones. It's normal. I try not to let them stay in my mind so many times or for so long, but sometimes it happens".