Carlos Alcaraz has recalled his incredible win against Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. The Spaniard is currently gearing up to defend his Wimbledon title.
Alcaraz was last seen in action at the HSBC Championships, where he delivered some performances and advanced to the final after besting several top-notch players. He squared off against Jiri Lehecka in the final and overwhelmed the Czech with a score of 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2. He is now getting ready to compete at Wimbledon, which will start on June 30.
Amid the preparations, the Spaniard sat down for a conversation with Rolex, where he opened up about his experience of winning the 2023 Wimbledon tournament. In the final, he competed against the then second seed and four-time defending champion, Djokovic. The 22-year-old revealed that he was nervous and felt a lot of pressure during the match; however, he said that people supporting him gave him the energy to win the clash.
"Before entering the first match of Wimbledon 2023, I'd played a total of ten matches on grass in all my life, maybe 15 at most. When I entered the court, the nerves were there! There was a lot of pressure, a lot of nerves. Ultimately, I knew I was playing against one of the best tennis players in history. The first set wasn't good at all. I told myself to be calm," said Carlos Alcaraz (5:06 onwards).
He added:
"Often in tournaments, I think of where I came from. The people here supporting me. Looking at them calmed me down. It gave me the confidence to say, 'I am here!' That I can compete on grass."
Carlos Alcaraz lost the first set but won the next two, before losing the fourth and winning the decider to triumph 1–6, 7–6(6), 6–1, 3–6, 6–4
Carlos Alcaraz made his feelings known about his rise to fame
In the aforementioned interview, Carlos Alcaraz also discussed his rise to fame, talking about the benefits of winning the 2022 US Open, which was his first Grand Slam title. Along with this, he also opened up about the adversities and lows he faced after achieving fame.
"In the 2022 US Open, when I won my first Grand Slam, it was a very special moment in my career, in my life. In that moment, I felt invincible. When I got there, to the top, that’s when I struggled. I had several tournaments that didn’t go as well as they could," Carlos Alcaraz said (at 4:05).
Carlos Alcaraz has won Wimbledon twice in his career so far. Along with this, the 22-year-old has won 21 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including five major titles and seven ATP 1000 titles. He kicked off this year by competing at the Australian Open, where he couldn't advance further than the quarterfinals.