Alcaraz: “This is something I dreamed of when I was a child”

After getting into the first final of a Masters 1,000 of his career by beating Hurkacz, the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz spoke at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami about what he felt at that moment and about the next meeting. This Friday was not a comfortable match for Alcaraz, who could not find a way to break the Pole’s service, but he asserted his superiority in the two tie-breaks. That was also analyzed in the mixed zone by Murcia.

First Masters 1,000 final: “I have a lot of emotions right now. This is something I dreamed of when I was a kid. It’s fantastic to be in the final here in Miami, a place where I love to play with an amazing crowd. I approach the final as if it were the first round. At least I’ll try to play like it is, holding my nerves. I think I’ll enjoy it.”

Equality: “I was barely able to return Hubert’s services and I knew that in the match the sets were going to be long, as they were. I thought that I would have to play tie-breaks and that is why I had to keep my services. The difference was very small with the serves And it’s a big win for me.”

Recovery: “Thursday was a long and hard game. I think I finished late. So I went to sleep at 2:00, but I had the possibility of waking up late, around 10:00, and I tried to sleep well. It was an easy day I took a nap too, like every day. And then I warmed up a bit to get ready for the game.”

The remains: “In the beginning, the plan was to return the second serve close to the line. But during the match, I saw that while the point is being played, you have more chances to win. So with the second serve I decided to return the ball, put it inside and try to play. Just concentrate on putting the rest.

Lesson from the match against Nadal in the Indian Wells semi-finals: “It was a great match against Rafa. I think I played a great match against him. I learned to play in a semi-final at a Masters 1,000. It was the first, so now in the second I managed to do much better than in Indian Wells. It was a different, I mean, this one than Rafa’s, but I think the nerves, the difficult moments, I handled it better in this one than in that one”.

The strategy: “In every game I try to put my game, hit big forehands, big shots, dropshots, try to go to the net, try to be aggressive all the time. Of course you have a plan in every game against every player, but I try to get better. my game. My idea in every tournament and in every match”.