"I feel very fortunate to be able to live these kind of moments and that people love me so much" - Carlos Alcaraz after winning Madrid opener
Carlos Alcaraz delighted his fans by getting past Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-3, 7-5 in his opening match of the Madrid Open on Tuesday.
After trailing 1-3 in the first set, the World No. 9 came back strongly to level the score and win the opener without losing another game.
The Spaniard had to fight to take the second set, battling back from a break down to seal the win. The 18-year-old thanked the mammoth crowd during a flash post-match interview.
"Well, at the end I think that I'm a player that fights till the last ball, till the other player just misses it or there is a ball that he cannot be able to return. I tried just not to give any ball for granted and tried to fight every single shot. I would describe it as incredible. It was amazing that all the people were cheering me up with the points and it was just spectacular," Alcaraz said.
When asked what he thought of the 10000-strong turnout for his late-evening game, the 18-year-old expressed his gratitude to those who were present in the stadium.
"Yeah, I have felt very supported by all the people. I felt all their love here in Madrid, of La Caja Magica. I feel very fortunate to be able to live these kind of moments and that people love me so much."
When asked if he was expecting over 10,000 people to show up for his match and how he'd feel if someone told him about the numbers beforehand, Alcaraz said he did not and that he would've thought the interviewer was crazy.
"Sincerely, no. No, I wouldn't be believing what we are living or see so many people at this time of the day, Tuesday, here watching a match, supporting me. Well, sincerely I would say that you're crazy."
Carlos Alcaraz cautious about prospective quarterfinal clash with Nadal
In what is truly a mouthwatering prospect, the Madrid crowd may well get to witness two generations of Spanish talent take on each other in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz, who lost to Rafael Nadal on his 18th birthday at the same venue last year, could face the Spaniard in the last eight this week. When reminded of the draw, Alcaraz sounded a note of caution, saying he would need to first get past a number of other players.
"Yeah, it would be great. It would be beautiful. But at the end of the day it is a Masters 1000. We have the most important players here, and we have to demonstrate a really good level, both Rafa and myself."
Alcaraz will take on either Cameron Norrie or John Isner in the round of 16.