Announcing Alcaraz

I still think you haven't really embraced like you're a superstar. Like you just seem like you're a kid that's playing tennis. Is that still true? You still don't really see yourself as a superstar? Well... A quite incredible performance by the teenager. Where do we start? Can you actually believe what happened to you within the last year? Not really. The winds of change certainly blew in a year ago when this young Spanish dynamo, Carlos Alcarez, announced his arrival. It's been too long since that familiar Arthur Ashe roar has echoed into the Gotham Knights. The hum of anticipation is everywhere on the grounds of the USGA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. A welcome return to something joyful and normal and fun. And it's out of my chakras. Three sets to one. Seven, six, four, six, six, one, six, four. What was the transition like when you're only a clay guy and you become a good hardcore player? Like was that a gradual thing? Talk about like playing on the hards now. I've been always playing on clay course since I started playing tennis. You know when I was 13 years old I started to practice a few days a week on hardcore. Just trying to be better on that surface. We realized that we have to practice more on hardcore because the main surfaces on the ATP Tour is on hardcore. I consider myself a guy who, you know, adapts very well himself on every surface. Today's next third round match, from Spain, Carlos Alcarez. And from Greece, Stefanos Tsitsipas. Hasn't he settled so quickly? No reaction from JCF. Good stop. So after losing four straight games, Stefanos Tsitsipas has a chance here. This is some high-level tennis. Wonderful stuff, demonstration of the tennis IQ. He's playing, you just, you watch a guy like this, you just want to see him continue to play this level. That is a quite remarkable passage of play for the teenager from Spain. The first point of this game is going to be what Alcarez needs to get back to doing. Again, a lightning fast fourth set, then goes the way of Stefanos Tsitsipas. But six games to go, two sets all. Serves up a New York bagel. And they are indeed going the distance. Oh, what a forehand! Raises the roof! It is victory for Carlos Alcaraz. Listen to that noise. The biggest victory of his career. His first top five win. And the first journey into the fourth round of the major for the young Spaniard. A phenomenal performance. This crowd loves you. How much did the crowd support help you get to the finish line? I mean, I think without this crowd, I haven't the possibility to win the match. So I was down at the beginning of the fourth set. So thank you to you, to the crowd. You're only 18 years old, Carlos. This is the biggest win in your young career. What does this victory mean to you? I mean, this victory means a lot to me. As you said, it's the best match of my career, the best win. So for me, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, it's a dream come true for me. And for sure, here is more special for me. Well, it was very special for everybody here watching you. Congratulations. Best of luck in the fourth round. Thank you very much. Well, I have to say that there are a lot of people who say to me like, do you realize how big you are? You know, in stats of, you know, name or everything you have done. And I'm like, no, I can't compare with, you know, other athletes that they are in the top. For me, I just go to, you know, go to the court, try to play my best, try to enjoy as much as I can. That means that, you know, I'm not feeling any pressure about anything, but just playing tennis and playing my best tennis, you know. But obviously, I have to see and I have to realize that everything, you know, is going so fast for me. But right now, I want to think that, OK, I'm still so young. I'm, you know, my main goal is to keep enjoying as much as I can. This should be fascinating. Hasn't necessarily been a matter of if he's going to make a breakthrough, but just when. Can the teenager keep it going against the German that's looking for his seventh match win here in the last 10 or 12 days? Another drop shot for Alvarez. Oh, the scramble slice. Continues to storm here in New York City. Battling on to the quarterfinal. Youngest Grand Slam Men's Singles quarterfinalist since Michael Chang at Roland Garros in 1990. And the youngest ever here in the open era of the U.S. Open. Gotta go back to 1963 when this was the U.S. Championships, before pros were allowed that a player this young in men's singles has gotten this far. It wasn't all that long ago that Félix Auger-Alaissime was touted as a tennis prodigy. Back in 2017, he turned pro as a 17-year-old, one year after winning the U.S. Open juniors tournament. It came with a load of expectations and pressure, which I was putting on myself a lot already. Some came from the outside as well. But the thing is, it helped me, you know, it's helped my game. It's helped my confidence. I think it's helped me mature, you know, faster than I should have. Maybe in another way, I had to face challenges very early in my teenage years and my young life. So I think overall it was good that it happened this way. One imagines he can relate to the experience that Carlos Alvarez is having. The 18-year-old Spaniard's rise has been meteoric. Auger-Alaissime is playing in his second consecutive major quarterfinal, following his Final 8 appearance this year at Wimbledon. There's a sign of the all-four game there from Alvarez. Great job of recognizing that short ball moving forward. Points are almost identical, just reversed. Oh, that's so good from Alvarez. Alaissime. Oh, come on. How did he get that kind of angle from there? Great shot there from Auger-Alaissime. Auger-Alaissime set himself up so perfectly for that. All he had to do was give it a little drop shot over the net, but there's a little tentative backhand volley there from Auger-Alaissime. Come on. I mean, Auger-Alaissime is just unloading on forehands right now. Getting the crowd involved. Asking for love. He's loving it. Looks like Alcaraz knows he's a little flat. Yeah. I think you said it, Mary. He just looks like a little bit flat right now. He's played a lot of tennis. Yeah. Uh-oh. Oh, no. That is not good. That's just so unfortunate right now. Hats off to Alcaraz for an incredible tournament still, and he's going to get a warm applause from the crowd as he walks off here. I can see clearly, but yeah, it's unfortunate. You know, I didn't see it coming. He's such a good player. You guys were amazing tonight. Again, I think we were putting on a good show, so. No, it's too bad. How much of a problem was it having to play two five-set matches before today? I mean, to play two matches, two five-sets in a row, play in a great level, in a great intensity, like four hours is really tough for me. I'm not used to play this kind of matches in a row. I have no deception on myself to have to retire in the quarterfinals, so it has been a great tournament for me. So I have only positive feelings in this tournament. How important do you think all these big matches you've played in the past week and a half will be moving forward? This tournament made me mature a lot, so I think I'm really happy to play a first quarterfinals in a Grand Slam. So I think this tournament is going to be a great spring for me, so for the next tournament. What drives you? What motivates you to play the game of tennis? Well, right now, obviously, it is my passion. I'm in love with the tennis game. So that's what motivates me, just to enjoy, just to know the times that I step on the court and play my best tennis. I think, okay, that's what I'm playing because I love it. Obviously, I put myself the goal to be one of the best tennis in history. That's motivated me a lot, just to be able to sit at the same table as the big three or the legends from our sport. I know, I have to say, I know that it's a big dream and probably it's going to be impossible, but in this world, you have to think big. You have to dream big. So that's my motivation right now. That's what motivates me to give my 100% every day. How much would it mean to you to lift your first Grand Slam trophy, maybe here? Yeah, it would be amazing and it would mean a lot to me to lift a Grand Slam title. I'm going to go for it in these tournaments, but yeah, I'm just really excited to play. Of course, I'm going to go for it. I won a lot of fans last year. I'm really excited to live the energy that they put in me in every match. I'm really, really excited to play here. I came one week earlier to prepare as best as I can. Here, they just opened a tournament really special for me, where I reached my dream. I'm really happy to come back and obviously, this kind of stuff helps you to pull out all the nerves or all the pressure that you can have before the tournament starts. Always have fun before the tournament begins. The prodigy looking to make history. A lot of tennis happens between here and there, of course. Anything can happen and usually does. Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, due to an injury, Mr. Baez is forced to retire. From Spain, Carlos Alcaraz. You have a smile on your face all the time. What is the secret to just enjoying for you? Well, I mean, I love playing tennis, so I enjoy playing tennis. That's the secret, you know. Of course, playing this court, it's easy to enjoy, to play your game. And of course, with my team in the box, it's easier. You know, in a tough moment that you saw a little bit angry, you know, in the third time moments, they made me smile. Carlitos Alcaraz headed to round three here. He's got a lot of Rafa attitudes, seemingly, which you would expect. I suppose it's been pretty successful for Rafa. Why not follow in those footsteps? Well, this tournament is obviously one of the best tournaments in the world. And yeah, I'm just working on my things that I have to improve, that I have to be better and be comfortable playing with. Just to give myself the chance just to keep going, to keep improving and, you know, trying to reach as far as I can. It's a great energy that I received here in this tournament, and hopefully, you know, I'm going to feel, you know, since the first round to the last one. We've seen it before, but seeing really is believing. Pandemonium inside Ash. I think every single person that can get to their feet is on their feet. Almost felt as though he was trying to say, let me see how fast you are and Alcaraz showed up. Because he had a couple of looks there where he could have done a little more, Francis. I think most players wouldn't be able to get to that ball, much less hit the winner, Tiapo. Gotta hand it to him. Congratulations. First Grand Slam final. Can you describe what this moment means to you and what it's like? It's amazing for me. You know, it's something that I dreamed when I was young, when I was a kid, you know, to fight for a title of a Grand Slam. I mean, to be able to win this kind of matches in this kind of courts, stadiums, for me, it's amazing. I can't describe with words my feelings right now. So you have Kasper Ruud in the finals. You've beaten him twice. What do you know you need to do against him? And there's a lot on the line, as you know. Play my best, you know. I have to show my best. Play one of my best matches to beat Kasper. He's doing really, really great. This is his second Grand Slam final, so he has the experience from Roland Garros that I have not experienced to play a final of a Grand Slam. But I mean, I'm going to enjoy it like a kid. I'm going to enjoy the moment and let's see what happens. Congratulations. It has been a breakthrough season for two of the youngest players now in the top 10. A lot has changed for Kasper Ruud and Carlos Alcarez as they step up their games from a year ago. I would say last year, I was new on everything and didn't know nothing. You know, and right now I'm more mature. I can handle the pressure, handle everything, and you'll be better. I've improved a lot in my ranking and I've made good results in big events, so I feel more comfortable, I guess, now on this stage. And now the stage is set for both Kasper and Carlos in the chase for the number one ranking in the world. I try not to think about the pressure, not to think about the results, and of course to the ranking, you know. Just trying to show my best level. I think I'm getting better every day. I don't want to think too much about it either. It can put a lot of pressure if you go around and think that, oh, if I win one more or win one more, I can become world number one. So it's obviously a dream and a goal for every young player. If I was to leave New York as number one, I would probably be happiest guy in New York. Carlos Alcaraz and Kasper Ruud in the US Open final. New York, please welcome the 2022 US Open men's singles finalists. World number seven and the first Norwegian finalist in US Open history, Kasper Ruud. And the youngest US Open men's singles finalist in 32 years from Spain, the number four player of the world, Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos Alcaraz has played an awful lot of tennis to get here. In the round of 16, he went three hours and 54 minutes, Jimmy. In the quarterfinals, he went five hours and 15 minutes. In the semi, four hours and 19 minutes. All late night matches. I know he's only 19 years old. I honestly, I feel as I've never seen anyone that has as complete a package as he has. He's dazzled me like he's one of the best players I've ever seen. Your 2022 US Open men's champion, Carlos Alcaraz. Congratulations, your first Grand Slam, you dropped down onto the ground. Can you describe what the moment was like for you? I mean, this is something really, really special for me. Be able to lift this trophy to become number one of the world. This is something that I wanted since the beginning of everything. And yeah, of course, this is something special for me. The youngest number one ever. Are you even surprising yourself a little bit by that? Yes, of course. I mean, I've never thought that I will become number one of the world at 19 years old. Everything is coming so fast. But as I said before, this is something that I worked really, really hard a couple last year. And of course, it's crazy for me to be number one of the world. But yes, as I said, this is something that I really wanted. And you had so many dramatic matches here. Last question. Physically and mentally, what was the key for you at the end? I would say just to stay the same player, same person in every match, the days off as well. And of course, believe in yourself all the time. I had great matches and tough matches. But I believe in myself all the time in every match. In the tough moments, in the big moments as well. I just went for it. And of course, to stay strong mentally and physically is something that I worked really, really hard. I still think you haven't really embraced like you're a superstar. Like, you just seem like you're a kid that's playing tennis. Is that still true? You still don't really see yourself as a superstar? Well... Quite incredible performance by the teenager. Where do we start? Can you actually believe what happened to you within the last year? Not really. The winds of change certainly blew in a year ago, when this young Spanish dynamo, Carlos Alcaraz, announced his arrival.