Carlos Alcaraz speaks with CNN after US Open win and says he believes himself ready to compete at the highest level of the sport
Carlos Alcaraz has won the US Open title for the first time in his career and says he’s still the same Carlos Alcaraz, the star who dominated the game for almost 20 years.
The Spaniard’s dream of winning on the American circuit seemed impossible after his retirement from professional baseball.
But there he was, standing in a field at historic Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, in an unassuming black and tan suit, waving to the crowd and accepting the trophy after beating Kevin Na, the 2008 US Amateur champion who has never met a US Open he does not want to beat him in.
“I was nervous before the tournament. I was nervous in the beginning,” Alcaraz told CNN as he celebrated his US Open victory on Sunday. “But I feel calm. I feel ready to compete.”
Alcaraz’s victory set up a second-round match with Na at the PGA Championship in Atlanta on Thursday and a three-way playoff with Kevin Na and Jordan Spieth at the Masters on Sunday.
The match is a major challenge for Alcaraz, who is used to playing the best golfers in the world. He is a six-time major champion who has a career-best 61 in the final round of the 2011 PGA Championship.
He admits that he can get nervous before matches, but says he has felt that way before.
“I’ve had matches before when I’ve felt scared, but I did not think I would win this one,” he said. “I used to feel that way when I played against Raf[ael] Nadal, or even other guys.”
A decade ago, Alcaraz was the face of an entire sport, winning four of the first five majors, including the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open.
That was, in part, because he was unbeatable. He did not lose a single match in majors from 2003-07. With his