Rinderknech explains how difficult it is to play against Alcaraz: "If you don't fly two meters, you won't make it"

Arthur Rinderknech witnessed today, from the front row, what it means to face off against the "experience Carlos Alcaraz." An experience, of course, renewed for this US Open 2025, where the player from Murcia is displaying a galactic level of tennis to reach the quarterfinals without dropping a single set. The Frenchman did not have a bad performance, pushing him more to the limit than anyone with a first-set tiebreak included, but it was there where Carlos put aside any trace of doubt and began to raise the stakes at every crucial moment of the match.

It's even more difficult to feel this on the other side of the net, but if there's one thing that Arthur Rinderknech has demonstrated, it is a passion for tennis and an analytical capacity. Having faced Carlos and Jannik Sinner on several occasions, no one better than the Frenchman to provide, in a press conference, a very accurate analysis of what sets them apart from the rest of mortals, a mix of anticipation, speed, and talent that few have been able to explain better.

- Feelings after a very tough match against a great Carlos Alcaraz

"It's never easy to defeat one of the top two players in the world today. I have enjoyed facing the number one, number two, and number three in the world in the last three Grand Slams, all on Center Court. It has been a magnificent experience that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I couldn't ask for anything better when you are a tennis player as passionate about this sport as I am. Unfortunately, it's a defeat. I tried to come up with a plan, give myself a chance: I gave it my all. The task was especially difficult. It was a match that I lost three sets to zero, but I felt that at times I wasn't far off. I will try to learn certain things for the upcoming matches and do better."

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- The challenge of facing Carlos Alcaraz, explained in detail

"The challenge is very tough, in a different way from other tennis players, although I would also include Sinner. When you hit a great shot against other players, you know that you will be able to, on the next shot, do what you are looking for. Will you be able to step forward on the court? Today, again, I felt that sometimes I made a pretty good return. I thought: 'Well, I'm going to be able to step forward, maybe I can go here and then there, he's going to play shorter and shorter to me'. Against these two guys, the ball simply comes back faster and with a better angle. You are at your opponent's feet immediately.

I would say that the most challenging aspect against these two is that they can change the direction of the ball even with the fastest and most penetrating shot that their rival can hit. That is impressive. Sometimes I attacked with good shots, with good returns, and immediately he put the racket there and sent the ball to the open space, leaving me with no options to reach it. Unless I can fly two meters, I have no chance of a response. That is the most challenging part of facing these guys.

It feels like they know where you're going to send the ball before you even hit it. They always anticipate what is going to happen. Sometimes you can push them to the limit, but when it really matters, that's when they play their best tennis. I didn't play a good tiebreak today, but out of nowhere, Carlos started to be more aggressive, not making any mistakes, first serves, returning everything... it gets even tougher."

- Have you noticed a difference in your serve today, an improvement compared to other matches against Carlos?

"I would say that in the first set, he didn't put too many first serves in, so I was able to pounce on his second serves. At first, he decided not to hit the ball too early, try to vary the return. Maybe I could have tried to step forward and hit it earlier to put more pressure, but the thing is when you hit a good return fast, he is excellent at changing the direction from this return. He makes you run immediately. In the second and third set, I think he served better first serves. Very fast. He served better, with more precision. His serve is improving, like everything else he does or tries."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rinderknech explica lo difícil de jugar frente a Alcaraz: "Como no vueles dos metros, no llegas"