Carlos Alcaraz says he never made this US Open claim but wouldn't mind proving it right
The US Open star found a quote attributed to him that he says he never said
Carlos Alcaraz saw a quote about himself and immediately wanted to make one thing clear: he never said it. But there was also something funny about the situation. The words suggested he believed he could win the US Open, and while Alcaraz denied saying them, he certainly wouldn't mind proving them right.
The moment came after Alcaraz defeated Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the US Open quarterfinals. During an interview in Spanish, the 23-year-old was asked whether he now felt capable of winning the tournament after four strong matches in New York.
Carlos Alcaraz corrects Tennis TV over US Open claim
Alcaraz answered by talking about his mentality after returning from a wrist injury that kept him away from competition for months. He explained that he still sees every opportunity to step onto a tennis court as a gift and wants to enjoy being able to compete again. He even gave himself only a “B” for his performance at the tournament so far.
But Tennis TV shared a post attributing a much stronger statement to him, saying Alcaraz “felt capable of winning the tournament.” Alcaraz saw it and went straight to the comments with a simple correction: “I didn't say that 🤨.” The post was later deleted.
The difference matters. Alcaraz wasn't declaring that he was going to win the US Open. His actual answer was much more cautious. After spending months unable to compete, he said he doesn't know when his final match of the tournament will come and that simply being back in a US Open quarterfinal is something he wants to enjoy.
Still, denying the quote doesn't mean Alcaraz doesn't believe he can win . His tennis has given him plenty of reasons to dream about it, even if he isn't ready to make that declaration himself. After four matches in New York, he was still talking about improving rather than making promises about how far he would go.
So Alcaraz's message was simple: don't put words in his mouth. He never said he felt capable of winning the US Open. But if those words eventually turn out to be true, he probably won't have much reason to complain.
Alcaraz now faces Ben Shelton in the US Open quarterfinals at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The defending champion is looking for another trip to the semifinals, while Shelton is trying to beat Alcaraz for the first time in his career.
