Alcaraz, 21 and a winner's soul: "Finals aren't meant to be played, they're meant to be won".
Carlos Alcaraz will be playing in his third Grand Slam final. After winning the US Open (in 2022, against Ruud in the final, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3) and then Wimbledon (in 2023, against Djokovic in the final, 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4), he has the opportunity, this Sunday, to claim another major title.
At just 21, the Spaniard is a true model of precocity. Heralded as a worthy successor to Rafael Nadal, the prodigy from El Palmar will be eagerly awaited on Sunday. Having beaten Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, many already see the trophy in the hands of the Spanish champion. However, he still has a major hurdle to clear: Alexander Zverev, ranked 4th in the world and crowned champion in Rome just before Roland-Garros.
Interviewed in the press conference, 'Carlito' reflected on his semi-final match. He admitted to having suffered, but was very pleased with the state of mind he adopted during the match: "This match was very intense, the level was so high. The key is that I was able to seize the opportunities at the right time. I'm very happy to have drawn on my previous matches, where I may have been less mentally fit and paid the price. I was positive all the time, strong in the head. I'm proud of that."
In what proved to be a physical match, he once again suffered physically. Despite this, he explains that he managed his cramps much better than last year (against Djokovic in the semi-finals, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1): "They weren't as bad as last year (the cramps). Mentally, I'm stronger. I know how to handle this kind of situation.
I know that when I get cramps, if I stay in the game, they'll go away. I know what I have to do in those moments. When I cramp up, I have to hang in there and shorten the exchanges. That's what I did, I managed it much better."
Finally, Alcaraz also looked ahead to Sunday's final against Alexander Zverev. Highly motivated, he is not about to take his future opponent lightly: "I didn't feel that way. It's a great victory, yes, but a semi-final victory. I'm now looking forward to the final. It's going to be very difficult tactically, and I'm going to have to play very well. Sascha (Zverev) has an excellent clay-court serve and very solid shots. I know it's going to be very complicated.
But a Grand Slam final can only be complicated. I'm just one step away. There's a phrase I often repeat to myself: 'Finals aren't meant to be played, they're meant to be won'. By having that mentality, I can have the image of myself with the trophy in my head."
