Exclusive: ‘If people want to beat me, they will have to suffer’ – Carlos Alcaraz on being ‘calmer’ at US Open
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz has warned his prospective opponents at the US Open that they will “have to suffer” if they want to beat him.
The 20-year-old won his maiden major title at the US Open last year and faces Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals next in his bid to defend the crown.
And Alcaraz, in an exclusive interview with Eurosport, responded affirmatively when asked if those successes have helped him feel “calmer” when he now approaches matches in majors.
“Yes, the truth is yes. I’ve already experienced important situations in Grand Slams,” Alcaraz told Alex Corretja.
“Even though I’m only 20 years old I feel a little bit experienced in these types of situations, which means there are many moments which I take with much more calmness than maybe before.
“And I can play calmer knowing that if people want to beat me, they’re going to have to suffer, run a lot, and play a very, very high level for a long time.
“Physically I feel good, mentally quite good and tennis-wise I think I am playing at a high level, so in these situations I feel calmer.”
Alcaraz already has 12 singles titles to his name having captured his first just over two years ago.
Alcaraz has beaten Dominik Koepfer, Lloyd Harris, No. 26 seed Evans and Matteo Arnaldi so far in New York, and will face Zverev on Wednesday.
“What we’re trying to do in each match, I think I’ve done that incredibly well,” the Spaniard said.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi during the US Open tennis tournament men’s singles round of 16 match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 4, 2023
Image credit: Getty Images
“Playing aggressively, trying to go up to the net a lot of times, keeping the rest of my game tight – basically my game style.
“I think I haven’t doubted it at any moment, I’ve been faithful to my style in every moment of matches.”
Either third seed Daniil Medvedev or Andrey Rublev await the winner of Alcaraz and Zverev in the semi-finals.
The two quarter-finals on the other side of the men’s singles draw will see an all-American clash between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, and a face-off between Taylor Fritz and second seed Djokovic.
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