-If I had withdrawn, it would have been even more painful. I know I had a 1% chance of turning the game around, but I wanted to hold on to that 1% -says Carlos Alcaraz (20).
In the womb of Philippe Chatrier, the Murcian attends to the press. He doesn’t seem particularly embarrassed. Rather, he seems resigned.
An hour earlier, the match has gone, the semifinal against Novak Djokovic (36), the man who is now riding towards his 23rd Grand Slam title, a milestone that would break him with Rafael Nadal.
-And what did they tell you from your stands? Did they ask you to leave? she asks him.
-I told my team that I was very hurt. And they answered me: ‘look for solutions. And if not, retire’. But if I had retired, it would have eaten my head a lot.
-And why has this happened?
-The tension of the party. We have played two very intense first sets, with good rallies, rallies, volleys. I think that the tension has had a lot to do with it. Maybe I was more nervous than usual because this was a semifinal against Novak (Djokovic). I attribute it to something mental. I have entered the track tense and I have not known how to relax. I guess it’s normal. If someone says that they are not impressed by entering a court to play the semifinal of a great with Djokovic, they are surely lying.
Then explain the process.
He says that the problems had been appearing as he got into the game.
-At the beginning, at the end of the second set, I felt discomfort in my hand. Then on the legs. And in the end, all over the body. It is not the first time that happens to me in full competition. I had already noticed something similar at the 2021 US Open, against Tsitsipás. Although then it had not been so hard (then, he prevailed in five sets).
Five minutes later, Novak Djokovic enters the room.
The Serb spends a good part of his speech consoling Alcaraz. He applauds her:
-Alcaraz has a lot of time and I have no doubt that he will win Roland Garros many times in the future. He is a very complete tennis player, he has already won a Grand Slam and is the youngest leader in tennis history. I feel respect for him for having stayed in the game until the last point.
