MY ACCOUNT
Carlos Alcaraz was philosophical after his French Open elimination at the hands of Alexander Zverev, adamant he has no need to blow it out of proportion.
Despite being seeded three places below Zverev, the 19-year-old Spaniard went into their quarter-final as many people’s favourite.
But after a slow start that Zverev punished, Alcaraz’s second grand slam quarter-final proved a learning curve.
Zverev ultimately won 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (9-7) to clinch his maiden top-10 scalp at a grand slam, though the German acknowledged he managed to end the contest just as Alcaraz was starting to take charge.
As such, the sixth seed felt there were plenty of reasons to feel positive about his tournament.
“I would say I finished the match playing better,” he said. “I leave the court, leave the tournament with the head very high. I fight until the last ball. I fought until the last second of the match, and I’m proud of it.
“I have to take the lesson today. It was a tough match and close match I think. I could say I didn’t start well, and in this level, quarter-final of a grand slam, you are playing against the best players in the world, so you have to start the match better than I did today.
“I have to improve to the next grand slam or next matches. But I would say I’m not far away to reach a semi-final or be able to win a grand slam.
“I would say I have the level, I have the confidence to win a grand slam or pass through to the semi-final next time.
“I mean, this match is not going to be tough for me or I’m going to say I’m disappointed for this match. I’m just going to try to take the positive things of the match, and of course the bad things that I did, to improve to the next matches or next tournaments or next grand slams.
“I could say I was close to a good match, close to a fifth set, and in the fifth set everything could happen.
“This was my second quarter-final in a grand slam, and I think I fight until the last ball and hope to the next grand slam, next quarter-final that I play in a grand slam, [hope to] do it better and to my chances to pass to the semi-finals.”
