C. ALCARAZ/F. Auger-Aliassime
6-2, 6-4
Q. You and Jannik know each other very well. You played indoor against him. How close or far do you feel against him on this surface? You practiced with him at the beginning of the week.
CARLOS ALCARAZ: He beat me 6-3 pretty easily, to be honest. In sport, is totally different feeling than going to a match.
I said that playing against Jannik on indoor court is one of the best or most difficult challenge that we have in tennis right now. I think he has a winning streak of 30, 31 matches in a row. On indoor court we're playing in front of his home crowd. That makes even more difficult playing against him.
Let's see tomorrow. But I'm ready to take the challenge and I'm ready to play a really good tennis.
Q. Do you feel your level increased match after match here?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Yeah, I think so. The round-robin was I guess I play a really good tennis, but obviously I was playing for the No. 1, which the nerves were there. Dealing with those nerves, that pressure, was more difficult let's say comparing to coming to the semifinals.
I think all those nerves was gone and I could play really good tennis, pretty good level before approaching the finals.
Q. 128 players in slams, eight players in the ATP Final, always the same final: Alcaraz versus Sinner.
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Well, I just happy to see myself in those finals, to be honest. That means the level we are doing, we're playing during the whole season, playing great tennis consistently.
Jannik and I playing finals. I think every time we face against each other, we raise our level, which I think for the tennis, for the tour, for the crowd is great match to watch. But I think that means we are putting a really good work on it.
Q. You are the world No. 1, but Jannik has this amazing indoor record. Who is the favorite?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: Who is the favorite (smiling)? I mean, the No. 1 means that I've been playing really good during the whole season, in the whole surfaces. He's playing the best on indoor court. We're playing in front of his home crowd. I would say he's the favorite.
Don't want to believe it, but I would say he's the favorite for tomorrow I guess (smiling).
Q. What would it mean to you to win this and be only the third Spaniard to win this championship?
CARLOS ALCARAZ: It would mean a lot to me because the last part of the year I've been working really hard and I've been really focused just to be in a good shape to play this tournament.
Obviously we have really important tournaments on indoor court. For me, I was really focused especially in this one. Coming here, playing a good tennis, and be able to lift the trophy at the end of the week would mean a lot to me, even more winning Jannik, and being in the same list as Orantes and Corretja, to be the Spaniard to win this tournament. Putting my name next to them would be great.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports