Carlos Alcaraz spoke to hundreds of reporters in New York City immediately after the game. He appeared with a smile on his face, having now overcome the right wrist injury that kept him out of action for 139 days. Because of the late hour, the press conference was moved from the usual room to one of the large corridors of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner admitted that one of the deciding factors in the match was his opponent's serve: "Shelton puts a lot of pressure on you all the time. There were moments when I could have done a little more.

In the super tie-break I was two points ahead, but he served the second and I made a mistake on the return. Who knows, maybe if that point had been played differently, it could have changed the match". It was precisely an ace from the American that ended the match and sealed his victory. "At night, the ball becomes much bigger because of the humidity and it is difficult to control.

This makes the match even more difficult. I had a Shelton in front of me who played a very complete match, very mature and who knew at every moment what he had to do. Physically he is a beast, it seemed like he had no weaknesses", declared the world number three. "After the third set, I found a way to get back into the match. I relied on the audience, I took heart and I lifted myself emotionally, and I think I managed to do this until the last point", concluded the Spanish tennis player.