World No. 24 Karen Khachanov spoke highly of his match against Carlos Alcaraz at the Rome Masters. He was defeated by the Spaniard in the fourth round with a score of 3/6, 6/3, 5/7.
Q: Carlos approached you after the match. What did you discuss during those 10-15 seconds?
A: He said it was a very high level of play and a really tough match for him. He also added that I was a bit unlucky. I also believe it was an even match of high quality, and I gave him a fight.
Q: Before this match, you hadn`t won a single set against Alcaraz in your career. In this match, you not only broke that streak but almost defeated the Spaniard. How and when did the `beast mode` switch on?
A: When I was leading in the first set, I thought: `Oh, it`s time to finally take a set from him.` Maybe that`s what hindered me. But in the second set, on the contrary, being down a break, I managed to come back and turn the match around. Once I had taken the second set, I thought to myself about Alcaraz: `Now we are playing on equal terms, and let`s see who pushes harder.` I tried to show a high level, not think about winning or losing, but just stay mentally in the game the whole match. And I managed that, despite the outcome.
Q: Is this match among the top in your career? If so, where does it rank?
A: The top five include: the match against Nadal at the US Open 2018, the final in Bercy against Djokovic also in 2018. Matches against Del Potro at Roland Garros 2019, against Kyrgios at the US Open 2022, as well as several other matches. But the encounter with Alcaraz definitely belongs in this list.
Gilbert Pendleton