"I feel like I'm more mature, I deal better with the pressure" - Carlos Alcaraz on his growth since maiden Grand Slam triumph at US Open 2022

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz surged into the semifinals of the 2023 US Open, defeating 12th-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in their last-eight encounter on Wednesday (September 6). Speaking to the press afterwards, the Spaniard was asked to reflect on his mental toughness since winning his first Major title in Flushing Meadows a year ago.

In his response, Alcaraz asserted that he has grown into a "totally different player," and that he deals with clutch situations more maturely now. He also pointed out that he has reached the semifinals of a Major tournament four times in his career thus far, giving further credence to his mental strength in big matches.

"I feel like I'm a totally different player. I feel like I'm more mature. I deal better with the pressure with that kind of moments," he remarked.

"I think I'm more mature now. I grew up a lot since last year. Last year I was facing my first semifinal of a Grand Slam. Now I'm facing my fourth one. Yeah, I feel like I'm different, different person and different player," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz has had a steep ascent to the top of the men's game since winning his first Major title at the 2022 US Open. Although the young Spaniard's next Grand Slam campaign at the 2023 French Open ended in a semifinal exit, he eventually backed up his triumph in New York in emphatic fashion at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz defeated seven-time winner Novak Djokovic in a titanic five-set championship match at SW19. While the match's result wasn't exactly unexpected, the 20-year-old impressed fans greatly with his resilience in the face of adversity.

"Before matches, I'm doing the same things" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz smiles at his box during the 2023 US Open

Towards the end of his press conference, Carlos Alcaraz was also probed on whether he had made any changes in his pre-match routine over the last year. The Spaniard replied in the negative as he claimed that his current approach to big matches was sufficient for the time being.

"Not really. I'm doing the same things. You know, before matches I'm doing the same things. Mentally, you know, can change a little bit mentally going tournaments the best-of-five, but I try to do the same things. You know, I'm doing well during the season. Why do I have to change it? I'm just doing the same things," he said.

Carlos Alcaraz will next face 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev for a place in the final. The Spaniard leads the Russian by a margin of 2-1 in their head-to-head meetings on the tour.

Although he beat the former World No. 1 with relative ease during their last meeting in the semifinals of this year's Wimbledon Championships, their fourth meeting promises to be a blockbuster affair.