Carlos Alcaraz gave a candid assessment of his level as he also spoke glowingly about Tommy Paul after beating the world No 14 at the 2026 Vienna Open.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion prevailed 6-4, 7-6(2) against Paul in the quarter-finals in Austria on Friday.

World No 3 Alcaraz earned the only break of a tight and entertaining contest in the seventh game of the opening set.

The 23-year-old Spanish superstar saved all five of the break points he faced, including the only two break points of the second set.

Alcaraz now holds a 8-2 head-to-head record against Paul after his seventh successive win against the American. Paul won two of the pair’s first three encounters.

In an on-court interview with Tennis TV, Alcaraz revealed how much he enjoys playing Paul as he expressed his admiration for the 29-year-old’s game.

“Well, I think everybody could see the points we played today. Great rallies, great points, great shots from both of us,” Alcaraz said.

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“I’m really happy and I really enjoy these kind of matches. I’m a huge fan of Tommy, to be honest. His style, I love the way he plays, and I love watching him play.

“So for me, playing against him is always a pleasure. So today, I just hope that everybody could enjoy this match — so did I.”

Alcaraz went on to admit he had not been as “confident” as he was in his 6-1, 7-6(11) victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili in the previous round.

“Obviously really happy with the performance that I did today. I think I played a great tennis,” continued the reigning Australian Open champion.

“Probably not as confident as yesterday, for example, in terms of hitting from the baseline.

“But I would say overall, just happy for the battle. Happy that I just found my way and finally get the win in straight sets.”

Alcaraz will take on world No 5 Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals at the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna on Saturday. He has a 6-3 record against the 30-year-old Russian.

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