By Miguel Rapetti
02 Jun 2024, 18:27 PM EDT
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz indicated this Sunday, after his victory against the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime by 6-3, 6-3 and 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, that he sees it as “mediocre” to settle for stay at this stage and that it would be “bittersweet” not to win the French Grand Slam.
During a subsequent meeting with the media, Alcaraz stated that his entire goal is victory in the competition and that he will do everything possible to make it happen, despite being happy to be in the quarterfinals.
“We don’t want to stay there, if we think that this is already a good result it would be mediocre. We are looking to win the tournament, and anything short of winning would leave us with a bittersweet taste. We have to appreciate that we are in the quarterfinals, but we want more,” she said.
The Spaniard was satisfied with the game he is playing and assured that as he overcomes the rounds his confidence becomes more solid.
“From the first round I felt like I could compete with the best, but as the days go by, the level and confidence increase. With my right I am finding myself more comfortable. But all the players are feeling better,” he noted.
Now, in the quarterfinals, Alcaraz will face the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom he has defeated in the five previous duels, the last in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros last year.
“The fact that I haven’t lost against him indicates that I have a way of beating him, that I know what I have to do from a tactical point of view, although I’m not going to say it now. But I know the shots I have to make during the match,” he said.
The Spaniard indicated that he will not trust himself because “he will also have learned from the defeats” and “he will surely come out in a totally different way.”
“It will be a very demanding match, both physically and mentally,” he assured.
The Greek, who beat the Italian Matteo Arnaldi, is also playing this Sunday in a doubles draw with his brother Petros and is also registered in the mixed draw with his girlfriend, the Spanish Paula Badosa.
Alcaraz did not want to evaluate this choice of the Greek: “If he is physically well, he does not have any discomfort, which is what he shows and he sees that he can combine everything, then go ahead. I am not the one to tell him what he has to do.”
“Personally, if I had a girlfriend and she asked me to play mixed, I would have to consider many things. But why not? ”She added.
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