Carlos Alcarazwho was eliminated this Friday in the semifinals of the US Open, admitted that he still needs to improve, learn and mature to know how to deal with this type of encounter.
“These kinds of games (that end in defeat) can happen even though I feel like I’m a different player (compared to last year), more mature. He played a really amazing game. I couldn’t find a solution in the game ,” he can be seen in a press conference.
“Now I am a better player in finding solutions when the match is not going in the right direction for me. But after this match, I will change my mind. so you can learn from that,” he added.
The Russian Daniel Medvedev He defeated Alcaraz, who is defending his 2022 US Open title, 7-6(3), 6-1, 3-6 and 6-3 after a thrilling match lasting three hours and 19 minutes.
Despite the disappointment, Alcaraz He tried to draw important lessons for the future and made self-criticism, especially regarding the outcome of the first set and the development of the second set.
“The main lesson is that I cannot waste the opportunities that I have missed in the first set. There cannot be a disconnection like the one I had after 3-3 in the tiebreak. These are things that I have to improve if I want to win more Grand Slams, if I want to be one of the best,” he said.
“It was a mental disconnection that lasted the rest of the tiebreak and practically the entire second set. Those things can’t happen if I want to fight for big things,” he added.
Alcaraz said that during that “disconnection” he felt “over the moon” and said it was “hard for him to stay calm.”
Although almost everyone in New York dreams of the final Alcaraz-Djokovicthe Murcian wants to give all the credit to the Moscow tennis player.
“I would have liked to play in the final against Novak, but Daniil deserves more than me to enter that final, there is nothing more to say,” he said.
“He played a very solid match, both with his forehand and his backhand. What surprised me the most was his forehand. He increased his speed, with very few errors. Every time he threw a a good parallel backhand or a good cross forehand, He is back. it to me probably even better (…). But Daniil is one of the best players in the world, so you can hardly be impressed by what he does in court,” he developed.
He also surrendered, ironically, to a high degree to the rest of the Russian.
“He can cut the back court so deep and so strong. It’s unbelievable. When I serve and volley, he always looks for the ‘pass’ from, you know, his home (laughs). In some cases in an incredible way,” he admitted.
Finally, Alcaraz, who closed 2023 with the Wimbledon title and the semifinals of Roland Garros and the US Open (he missed the Australian Open due to injury), scored “seven and a half or eight” in his performance here . Grand Slam year.
“But I hope it will be better next year,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
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