Carlos Alcaraz to CNN: ‘I’m playing unbelievable tennis’
Published 01/29/2011|Updated 02/23/2011
(CNN) — Carlos Alcaraz to CNN: “I’m playing unbelievable tennis.”
Alcaraz, 31, became the first Spaniard to win an ATP title after defeating Milos Raonic in straight sets Saturday at the All England Club.
“It’s amazing. You need a lot of luck, especially when you know you cannot win a match,” Alcaraz said. “I had to win the final every point, every game, all the way to the final. But I have a lot of respect for him, he was playing at a higher level than I was.
“I know my level was not at the same level. But when you are fighting at the top level of tennis, winning six out of the seven points you can take is a good thing.”
One game was all it took for Alcaraz, who has won six tournaments this year, to claim one of the most coveted trophies in the sport.
The Spaniard, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, had faced off with Raonic just two weeks ago at the same venue. But he was upset in the second round by Frenchman Frederico Ferreira.
Alcaraz, who grew up in Aragon, Spain, was one of the players who were banned from the 2010 Wimbledon.
This time, despite being ranked No. 1 in the world for more than a year, he had fallen to No. 2 in the rankings and had been seeded 20th in the first round.
“It must have hurt,” said Alcaraz, who won the first set. “I was a little bit disappointed. But I was still mentally strong. I could see that he was trying to be a player like me. I managed to win that first set.”
In the second
