"Sometimes just for the crowd" - Carlos Alcaraz admits to looking beyond scorelines to entertain fans with his skills

Carlos Alcaraz has mentioned that he sometimes looks to entertain fans with his skills and not worry about the scoreline.

On Tuesday, January 16, Alcaraz took to the court for the first time this season to face Richard Gasquet in the opening round of the 2024 Australian Open. He wrapped up the straight sets win in two hours and 22 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena to book his place in the second round.

In an on-court interview after the win, the Spaniard admitted that he sometimes selects his shots only to impress the watching crowd.

"Sometimes [I do that]. I always try to make drop shots, volleys. It's playing for myself but I always try to make the people enjoy watching tennis, watching my game. Sometimes I don't see the score and try to make the impossible shots, sometimes just for the crowd as well, yeah," he told John McEnroe.

When asked about how he manages to smile his way through tense moments, Alcaraz stated that he sometimes turns to his coaching unit who help ease the stress.

"I try to smile all the time on court. Obviously there are times it’s really tough to do it. The pressure is there. Nerves are there. In those moments it’s tough to enjoy playing. But I have my team as well over there. When I’m struggling a little bit or I’m mad on the court, they put a smile on their faces to try to bring the joy on the court. That’s the key of my game. I try to do it every day," he added.

The World No. 2 then clarified that he was not always this calm and composed, especially in his formative years.

"No, I was not always this way. When I was younger I was mad all the time," he admitted.

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Carlos Alcaraz: "I enjoyed it a lot and I missed it last year"

Carlos Alcaraz in action at the 2024 Australian Open.

Speaking after his win against Richard Gasquet, Carlos Alcaraz said that he enjoyed returning to action Down Under. The Spaniard was absent from the Australian Open last year due to an injury-enforced withdrawal.

"It’s always great to play here in Australia. This is the third time that I’m playing here. I didn’t have a good run the years that I played here, but I enjoyed it a lot and I missed it last year. Today I felt really good, playing here and I enjoyed in front of the crowd," he said.

On his win against the Frenchman, Alcaraz stated that he struggled in the first set but got better as the contest progressed. He also praised Gasquet for giving him a hard fight.

"I tried to get better. I think in the first set I struggled a little bit with his game and Richard was playing great as well. Every set, I played better and better, and in the end I think I played quite a good level," he said.

"Obviously, Richard is a great player but I’ve got to say, he’s an even better person. He has a lot of talent, his backhand is crazy. The way that he hit his backhand [today], it was great to play against him," he added.

Next up for Alcaraz is a second-round clash with Lorenzo Sonego, who beat Daniel Evans 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-2, 7-6(4).