Alcaraz reflects on his match against Arthur Fils: "I came very close to defeat"

Victorious in the quarterfinals against Arthur Fils, Carlos Alcaraz advances to the semifinals in Monte-Carlo for the first time and will face Davidovich Fokina.

After dropping the first set, the Spaniard narrowly avoided a collapse in the second. The 21-year-old saved seven break points to stay in the match. At 5-5, he faced a 0-40 deficit on his serve. The world No. 3 ultimately prevailed in three sets (4-6, 7-5, 6-3) after 2 hours and 23 minutes.

In the press conference, the El Palmar native reflected on the match:

"It was very, very tough. I’m not saying I was one point away from defeat, but I was very close in the second set. His level is quite high. The power with which he hits the ball is incredible. He’s one of the most physical players on the tour.

I don’t think I played my best tennis today, but I competed well. I stayed in it the whole time. It was one of the toughest matches I’ve played this season.

I think it’s better for my health—and my team’s—to win the big points earlier. I talked about it with them, and my dad told me he’d have a heart attack if I kept playing like that (laughs). I believe true champions find their best level when they need it most.

I would’ve liked to play high-quality tennis throughout the entire match, but in this sport, matches can last two hours or more. Maintaining the same level consistently is difficult.

My career started early. I’ve already experienced a multitude of different situations. I’ve learned by playing Masters 1000 and Grand Slam finals.

I’ve lost matches that taught me how to handle certain moments. I’m very young, but I feel I need to keep going through these experiences to improve and gain an edge over others."