Alcaraz: “I got a cramp from the nerves and tension of playing with the legend”

Carlos Alcaraz, who played the last two sets heavily against Novak Djokovic, confirmed at the press conference that he suffered from cramps due to nerves and tension playing against a tennis player of Serbian caliber in the semi-finals of Roland Garros.

“I cringed from the nerves and tension of playing with a legend. He pushes you to the limit during the game. If someone plays against Djokovic and says he doesn’t feel the tension, he’s lying to you. I have to learn a lesson for next time. The tension took its toll after two very difficult sets,” explained Murcian, whose level had been dropping since the beginning of the third set, when he started having cramps in his right leg.

Alcaraz already noticed cramps in his hands earlier, partly due to the weight of the match, the first two sets of which lasted a total of two hours, but also due to the exposure in Philippe Chatrier, which was his first Roland Garros semi-final and first Grand Slam match against Djokovic.

“The demands of the party took their toll on me. Now it’s time to train more and what happened remains in my head for the next tournaments, to learn from it. Winning a Grand Slam is never easy,” added Murcian, who did not blame Djokovic for celebrating the points he won despite his physical condition. “I don’t blame him for anything. I would do the same in his place,” added the Spaniard.

Despite playing practically two sets injured, Alcaraz admitted that he never thought about retiring from the match. “I told my bench I was screwed, but I didn’t want to retire.”