"In order to be the best, you have to beat the best" - Alcaraz after US Open win

Carlos Alcaraz climbed to number one in the ATP Rankings but the Spaniard feels the need to prove himself further.

Winning the US Open is a dream come true for him as is getting the number one rank but there are a few things he'd still like to do. He'd like to play Federer at least once and he'd like to beat a big three-member at a grand slam because to him, being the best means beating the best on the court.

"Playing against Federer would excite me and beating a 'Big Three' player in a Grand Slam. I’ve always said that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best."

While hailed a tennis prodigy ever since starting to play on the ATP Tour, Alcaraz rejects those claims simply admitting to being a hard worker:

"My answer is the same. Nobody gifts you anything, I believe. You don’t just click your fingers and have the world at your feet. You have to work at things. I think what I have achieved, winning a Grand Slam and being No. 1 in the world, is because of the work I’ve been doing with my team for a very long time. It hasn’t been a bed of roses, I’ve had to suffer and go through bad times to get here. I’m not special, and nobody said I was going to be the best, I’ve worked for it."

He's also not thinkin about catching Nadal but rather focusing on himself:

"I'll l always be proud when Rafa wins Grand Slams and obviously if I lose at a Grand Slam, I’ll always be supporting a Spaniard. I’ve won one, I don’t feel closer, I’ve got 21 to go. For now, I’m going to think about trying to get the second, which very few people have managed, that’s my goal."