"Consider myself a normal boy who does normal things"- Carlos Alcaraz on avoiding self-imposed pressure of being the 'youngest to achieve something'

Carlos Alcaraz won his seventh ATP title at the Argentina Open on Sunday. During the post-match press conference, the former World No.1 revealed that he endeavors to avoid putting any pressure on himself when it comes to breaking records.

Carlos Alcaraz returned to the ATP tour after a four-month long injury layoff that forced him to miss the ATP finals, the Davis Cup Finals and, most significantly, the 2023 Australian Open. He made his comeback to professional tennis at the Argentina Open and defeated Cameron Norrie in the final to lift the trophy.

When asked about his mental preparation to withstand the pressure of breaking records, Alcaraz divulged that he works hard every day to achieve a positive mental state. He said that off the court, he considers himself a normal teen who engages in normal activities.

"I try to work every day, in each training session, to be able to have a good mental level. Also, I try to surround myself with my family, my team, my family and my friends. When I'm not playing tennis I consider myself a normal boy who he does normal things, and that helps me a lot to disconnect, which is important," the Spaniard said.

Alcaraz said that he doesn't impose any pressure on himself to be the youngest to break a record or win a tournament. He keeps his focus on enjoying his time on the court and looking for ways to improve his game.

"I try not to put that pressure on myself of being the youngest to achieve something, be it a tournament, number one... I go to the track to enjoy myself, to have fun Well, try to improve. That's my goal," Alcaraz added.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals how he treats his matches like a game of chess

After a four-month recovery from an injury, Carlos Alcaraz made a return to the ATP tour at the Argentina Open. He faced a tough challenge in his opening match against Laslo Djere but managed to emerge victorious. He defeated Dusan Lajovic and Bernabe Zapata Miralles in straight sets in the subsequent rounds. Alcaraz then triumphed over second seed Cameron Norrie 6-3, 7-5 in the final to win his first title of the year.

Carlos Alcaraz disclosed the importance of precision to gain an upper-hand over the opponent. He said that all players work on incorporating a high level of precision in their shots to place their shots in the most effective manner.

"It is important to have precision, you have to seek to put your opponent in trouble. Those are the two things that put your opponent in the most trouble. Today there is high precision in all shots, that is what each player works on, trying to shoot strong and lines," the 19-year-old said.

Alcaraz mentioned how he approaches his matches like a chess game to exploit his opponent's weaknesses and put them in difficulty.

"It's like chess, trying to make your opponent run and putting him in trouble," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz will take part in the Mexican Open in Acapulco next week where he will be the top seed. He will feature alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune, among others.