Alcaraz on standout fifth-set record: 'I believe I'm going to win'

With victory over Frances Tiafoe on Friday at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz improved his standout fifth-set record to 12-1.

When pushed the distance, the Spaniard is used to coming out on top, highlighted by his five-set victory in last year’s final against Novak Djokovic at The Championships. The 21-year-old’s only fifth-set defeat came to Italian Matteo Berrettini at the Australian Open in 2022.

“In the fifth set, I think I increase my tennis, my level,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “I feel great physically and that helps a lot to play more calmly than the opponent. I feel much better than the opponent physically and mentally. I know that the other guy has to play at a really high level of tennis and intensity in the fifth set if he wants to beat me. That helps me a lot to deal much better with those difficult situations in the fifth set.

“I’m playing with the stats that I just lost one match in the fifth set. That’s an advantage for me. That’s why I am feeling really, really well physically and in those situations I play at my high level.”

Alcaraz has demonstrated his mental toughness during the early stages of his career, winning 14 tour-level titles, including three majors. The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings thinks the belief he has in his game is crucial to his impressive record when it comes to the crunch.

“In my head I’m thinking that I’m good in the [fifth set] and have the belief that I am going to win, I’m going to play my best tennis,” Alcaraz added. “In every match that I’ve played five sets, I played really close or my best tennis. I realised that I’m good at it and I believe that I’m going to win. I think that’s a good point for me.”

Best Open Era Grand Slam Five-Set Records

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Alcaraz was pushed hard by Tiafoe in their third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting before eventually prevailing after three hours and 50 minutes on Centre Court. Alcaraz praised the American following their battle.

This shot on match point 🤌<a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Wimbledon | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/xmjliFXdLQ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 5, 2024

“He’s a really good ball striker,” Alcaraz said. “With his serve, he was pretty good. He didn’t let me get into the match. I broke his serve twice in the second set, but after that I did not have many opportunities to break.

“I think he moves pretty well. He returns well, as well. I couldn’t dominate the match. I think most of the time he was in the position to play aggressively, playing his style, his game. He didn’t let me put my own game on the match.”

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Alcaraz produced moments of brilliance in the third-round clash, highlighted by his backhand winner on set point in the second set and his flurry of explosive groundstrokes in the fourth-set tie-break.

However, the Spaniard is still trying to find greater consistency during the course of best-of-five matches.

”I [have] learned a lot. I grew up in terms of the ups and downs or losing the focus in the match. Right now, I think there are not too many ups and downs in the match. I stay in a really good level of intensity or focus during the whole match,” Alcaraz said. “Sometimes there are matches that I get down a little bit or I am struggling to get better or to get into the rhythm in the match.

“Every match or every tournament that I’m playing, those situations are happening less. But I have to be focused in every match and realise that it’s happening during the match, try to improve it as soon as possible during the match.”

Alcaraz will continue the quest for his fourth major title when he meets Ugo Humbert or Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round on Sunday in west London.

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