(Nice) “I don’t realize that I won Wimbledon,” said Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, winner of his second Grand Slam tournament on Sunday at just 20 years old and who is competing in the Hopman Cup, a mixed team competition in Nice.
“I still don’t realize that I won Wimbledon and beat Novak. It will take a few more days for me to believe it,” the Spanish prodigy told reporters, beating Serbian Novak Djokovic on Sunday to clinch his second major title after the United States Open last year.
To explain his victory (in 5 rounds), after a defeat in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros against the same Djokovic during which he suffered from cramps, the world No.1 believes that he was “not well prepared mentally” before the meeting in Paris.
“I did better than at Roland-Garros, with mental exercises before the match which helped me to be more relaxed. At Roland (Garros), I couldn’t handle the pressure put on by Novak,” he explained.
“I wanted to be here to play this tournament (the Hopman Cup). We are not used to playing with women, in mixed doubles, I wanted to have this experience,” added the Spaniard, who “rested a bit” and has “not touched a racket since Sunday”.
In Nice, Alcaraz teams up with Rebeka Masarova. The 72nd player in the world replaced Paula Badosa, who suffered a back injury, last week in the Spain team which was due to start its tournament on Friday against the Belgium of Elise Mertens and David Goffin.
Alcaraz will then turn to the Toronto Masters 1000 which begins on August 7 and then that of Cincinnati (from August 13).
“Toronto is important, I go into every tournament thinking I can win it, but of course my main focus is the US Open,” which starts on August 21 and where he will defend his title.