"No, I’m free. I’m free, I’m free, I’m free" - Carlos Alcaraz shuts down rumours surrounding his dating life asked by former Grand Slam champion

Carlos Alcaraz was asked whether he was single or not in his press conference following a 7-6(5), 6-2 triumph over Alex de Minaur to kick start his ATP Finals quest with a bang.

After trading breaks in the first set, a tiebreak was needed to split the opponents. After leading 3-1 and 5-3, de Minaur was pegged back by a rampant Alcaraz who won four points on the spin to clinch the opening set. The second was much more comfortable for the world number one. He broke the serve twice from 1-1 to steamroll into a 5-1 lead, and wrapped up proceedings with his second match point.

After the match, he was chuffed with the level he showed on court. "Well, I’m just really, really happy with the level that I played today," Alcaraz began by saying. "The first match is never easy. After the match, I realised that this was my first win on the first day, so I’m really happy about it. Obviously, Alex is really dangerous with his speed, his shots, his style — so I’m just really happy that I stayed there, played good shots, good points, and got the win."

Alcaraz stated after his match that it can be tough to stay motivated in the final stages of the season. "Well, it’s been a process. I had to realise what I needed, especially off the court, to stay motivated and excited about the indoor swing," the Spaniard said. "The year can be super long — lots of matches, lots of tournaments — so at the end of the year you can feel tired mentally and physically."

He has prepared himself much better for this campaign. "This year, I had more time between tournaments and more time at home, which for me was great. It helped me prepare physically and mentally and stay fresh." That and his ambition of taking home the title. "This tournament is really important — I really want to do well here and try to win it one day. So, thanks to that, I came here motivated and playing at a great level. I’m really proud of the way I’ve handled things to reach the end of the year like this," he stated.

Recent comments surrounding Alcaraz or even his arch-nemesis Jannik Sinner have been about the court speeds. Normally it is due to them being too slow and benefiting them. In Turin, the players admitted it is very fast.

This was not the problem for Alcaraz, it was his opponent's lightning pace that gave him a headache at times. "No, it’s because Alex is super fast," he said with a smile. "That’s what makes it really difficult playing against him — his speed. You have to win the point three or four times every rally."

He also touched on the adaption from the slow courts in Paris to the quick ones in Turin. "At the beginning of the week, the court was quite fast — a little bit faster than Paris. But after every day, every practice, and all the points played on centre court, it gets faster and faster. Today I found it much faster than Paris, and I had to adapt to that. But to be honest, I think I like it. It’s quite surprising how much the court speed can change in just one week," Alcaraz acknowledged.

Despite his immense talent, de Minaur has never beaten the world number one in five prior meetings. When questioned why, Alcaraz answered: "I think it’s about taking the opportunities that come during the match. His style is more defensive — he tries to use the speed of the rallies and the pace of the ball we hit at him. But I think he’s starting to play more aggressively now. That’s why I have to stay really focused, because sometimes he’s making it work — and sometimes he’s missing a bit more. So, he’s getting there, and that might be the difference. But honestly, I don’t know — probably his coach knows better than me."

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic was supposed to be in this group, but made the executive decision to pull out with an elbow injury he had been nursing through the Hellenic Championship.

It was a decision Alcaraz was relieved to her due to his undeniable quality. "Obviously, having someone like Novak in the group is always tough. The experience he has in this tournament and the level he shows on this court is amazing. I lost to him in 2023 — I played great, but he killed me," he jokingly confessed.

"So, to be honest, I prefer Lorenzo. I’m not going to lie," Alcaraz honestly declared. "But if he’s here, he deserves it — because of the level he’s shown this year, the tournaments he’s played, and the consistency he’s had. Let’s see how it goes. He’s coming from Athens and hasn’t been able to practise on this court much, but I’m sure he’s going to do great. We’ll see how it’s going to be."

Former double number one and four-time Grand Slam champion Elena Vesnina saved the most bizarre question till last. The Russian asked Alcaraz about his dating life. "One that’s worrying a lot of girls around the world. Is your heart taken, or are you free?" she queried to the six-time Grand Slam champion.

In an instant, Alcaraz answered: "No, I’m free. I’m free, I’m free, I’m free."