“We’re back, Madrid!” read the message Carlos Alcaraz scrawled on the camera straight
after winning his first-round match. He came through his first match since losing to Grigor
Dimitrov in Miami with a resounding 6-2, 6-1. In his post-match press conference, there
was a good deal of interest about how the Murcia native was feeling on court.

“It was my first match since Miami, my level was great. I want to play many more matches
and get more hours on court and on clay. Hopefully I can get as close as possible to 100%
here in Madrid. He has ticked off the first jobs on his to-do list: a win, hours on court and,
above all, no pain. “I’m taking it match by match, I go out on court and I want to win. The
main thing is that I didn’t feel anything in my forearm. Now I have to try and enjoy myself
on court and if I feel good, the game and the results will come. I want to get more game
time without feeling it. Today I didn’t hit it as hard. The important thing is not feeling the
pain. I’m very happy I didn’t feel it and I’ll gradually ramp up the intensity”.
Carlitos is an aggressive player who enjoys hitting the ball with venom, but he is aware of
his limitations. However, the 20-year-old Spaniard is always able to see the silver lining:
“I’ve always been a player who hits the ball very hard and playing more relaxed is
unnatural for me, but I prefer it. In fact it helps me in a lot of ways, to be calmer and think
more clearly”.

The Spaniard admitted he was unsure if he could play in the tournament until the last
minute. “Yesterday I decided I can play, I haven’t touched my racket for a week. Yesterday
I played a set with Medvedev and I realised that I was ready and I didn’t feel any
discomfort”.

His victory today over Shevchenko was a significant one, a fact that was reflected in his
celebrations with his team: “We’ve done so much work in recent weeks, there was a lot of
uncertainty, that’s why I wanted to celebrate like that with my team. We’re doing great
work together”, concluded the El Palmar native.

Alcaraz is bidding to claim his third consecutive crown in Madrid at a venue that suits his
game to a tee: “The altitude is good for me. I’ve played in Madrid since I was little and I’m
very comfortable. The altitude benefits my game and the energy of the fans really spurs
me on”. A perfect combination.

In the next round he will meet Brazilian player Thiago Seyboth Wild whom he has never
played, despite being familiar with his game: "He’s a very good player, with a lot of shots.
Today he beat Musetti and he’s on a roll. I’ve seen him several times and I think his level
is very high”.

Asked about Nadal’s swansong, he voiced what everyone in Madrid is thinking: “I still don’t
want to think about it. Nobody wants to imagine the tour without Rafa. I want to enjoy
every moment as much as possible. Every time he can go out on court, I’ll be there to
enjoy it. Let’s enjoy the moment”.