Alcaraz motivated but anxious: "I always get stage fright when I play here".
Le 02/07/2024 à 08h45
par Elio Valotto
Carlos Alcaraz didn't exactly reassure his fans on Monday. Facing Mark Lajal (ranked 269th), he needed almost 2h30 to win (7-6, 7-5, 6-2).
Interviewed after his inaugural success, the Spaniard admitted to feeling relatively anxious at the prospect of playing on Wimbledon's Center Court again: "I always feel a lot of nervousness here. Walking on Centre Court here at Wimbledon... It's the most beautiful court I've ever played on. I always get nervous when I play here.
I trained for 45 minutes on Thursday and it's the first time I've felt nervous in training, just because I'm playing here. I'm happy and privileged to play on this field."
Alcaraz, Carlos
Lajal, Mark
Wimbledon
Two, if he and/or his coaches and mentors can't figure out how to channel that nervous energy into something positive on the court, he needs to hire a good sports psychologist or two. It's not like he can't afford the best in the business.