Alcaraz and a small challenge to Jódar: "I am eager to face him"

Carlos Navarro - 2 Nov 2026 | 19:09
Carlos Alcaraz ATP ATP Rolex Paris Masters 2026 Rueda de prensa

The player from Murcia arrived in Paris without time to rest after Vienna and spoke about his past experiences in this tournament, a new serving mechanic, or the emergence of Jódar.

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Alcaraz is already in Paris.

Carlos Alcaraz has no time to rest. Winning a title like he did in Vienna comes with that: not even a night of celebration in Austrian lands could Carlitos afford, as he set off for the ATP Rolex Paris Masters 2026 with the clear aim of improving his past performances in this tournament, one of the few places where he has historically never been able to get past the quarter-finals.

This is not a trivial fact: Paris has been the stage for matches that have taught him in the style of the best masters, like that clash against Hugo Gaston in 2021 where he himself admits that the crowd got into his head. After his debut defeat against Norrie last year, Alcaraz now arrives with renewed tennis, the confidence of a title in his backpack, and an improved serve with which he is truly satisfied. He talked about all this and more in a press conference, although perhaps the most exciting part came at the end, when he showered praises on his new adventure partner in the top-10, Rafael Jódar.

Alcaraz referred to Jódar's debut in the top-10 and gave exclusive details about his tennis before Paris

Much confidence after the victory in Vienna

"It’s clear that winning gives you a lot of confidence. I want to do great in this tournament, at some point, honestly. Being the champion in Vienna gives you a lot of experience, rhythm, and confidence. I hope to sign a great level of tennis this week, excited and eager to play my first match."

Regarding whether he feared during his recovery that he wouldn’t return to his best level... or if he thought he would succeed again this season

"The time I was out was quite long, so I had a lot of time to think, to feel, and there were definitely moments when I was sure I would return to my best level. There were also moments when I doubted myself, I won’t lie to you. I wondered if I would strike the forehand at 100% again, if I would feel pain in my wrist again, if I would come back healthy, I had doubts. However, when you’re surrounded by great people and great professionals, and trust your team 100%, it’s much easier to come back. I’m happy to have done a great job and to be in this position now.”

Memories and lessons from that match against Hugo Gaston, five years ago, in Paris-Bercy

"I don’t have great memories of that match, honestly (smiles). It was a tough moment for me. I would say it was the first time I really felt external pressure. I won’t say whether the crowd was right or wrong; they were cheering for their player, which is fair. What I learned that day is that I shouldn’t respond to the crowd or people, but focus on myself, on what’s happening on the court, not to let the crowd’s mood or energy affect my tennis or affect me mentally. I remember that in 2021 I learned that lesson. I felt the pressure and I felt down, and it was a tough match. I learned and grew because of it."

Has he found the key, after winning in Vienna, to feel comfortable on indoor hard courts?

"I wouldn’t know what to say. I feel like every indoor court is different. The conditions are distinct, everything. You play in Vienna, then the following week you go somewhere else and feel the conditions completely differently. Tomorrow I will train. I will try to feel my game in the right way, feel the ball as best as I can, and give myself a great opportunity on Wednesday to play at a high level of tennis, feel good on the court, and we’ll see. What I know is that mentally I must be strong with all the difficulties I encounter in my first match, but we’ll see what happens this week."

Changes in his serving mechanics since the Laver Cup

"I have observed the best players in history. It’s all about height, how tall you are. When it comes to balance in serving, the best servers in history have that balance, they move from back to front smoothly. I wasn’t able to achieve that fluidity, so I’ve changed my mechanics a bit. I try to have better balance, and to make my serve mechanics a bit smoother and more fluid: I’ve realized that how you toss the ball and balance are everything in serving. I can say I’ve done a great job, and I feel much better serving: in Vienna, we saw a great improvement in that shot. Very happy about it."

First impressions of the courts this year

"I haven’t trained yet, but I’ve talked to some players and they’ve told me that they feel it’s a bit faster than last year. I saw a couple of games from Jódar's match today, and the ball seems to react a bit differently than last season, a bit faster. We’ll see, I haven’t tried them yet."

Is there anything specific that makes him doubt or not show his best version in this tournament?

"I don’t know. I don’t know, to be honest. It’s a little strange, because at certain moments I have shown a good level here, but I know I haven’t shown my best tennis. If there is a specific reason, I’m not sure. There have been years when I arrived here not feeling 100%, especially mentally. I’ve also had seasons when I arrived feeling good, wanting to show my best version, excited to play, and I still ended up losing in the first or second round without playing a good level of tennis. However, I’m convinced that at some point I’ll do great in this tournament, I’ll feel how I want to feel, and that will happen sooner or later."

About Jódar's great moment and his arrival in the top-10 this week: how much of a threat could he be for the future?

"He’s not really a threat, you know (smiles). The way he’s playing in his first year on tour is insane. He’s broken the record for the fewest days to reach the top-10 since debuting on the circuit, making history. I’m very happy for him. He’s a very humble guy, a great lad, with his father as coach, doing amazing things. Very happy for him. He deserves to be in this position. It’s great to have Spanish company in the top-10. We all enjoy his tennis: every time I see him play it’s a privilege, it’s a joy, and I can’t wait to face him someday for the first time, to train together at tournaments. He’s already the future; he’s going to be a player to watch closely."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz y un pequeño desafío a Jódar: "Tengo ganas de enfrentarme a él"