TOKYO - World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz admitted to feeling “scared” after twisting his left ankle during his opening match at the Japan Open on Thursday, but powered through the injury to secure a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.
The incident occurred early in the first set with the score tied at 2-2,forcing Alcaraz to receive treatment and have his ankle heavily strapped. Despite initial concerns, the 20-year-old Spaniard returned to the court, broke Baez to take a 5-4 lead, and ultimately closed out the set. Play was briefly halted due to rain before Alcaraz dominated the remainder of the match.
This injury comes just weeks after alcaraz claimed his first US Open title earlier this month, solidifying his position as a dominant force in men’s tennis. The scare raises questions about his fitness as he continues his pursuit of year-end rankings and prepares for upcoming tournaments. Alcaraz will need to recover quickly to maintain his momentum and contend for further titles before the season concludes.
“I was scared too, I’m not going to lie,” Alcaraz said after the match. ”When I landed on the ankle, I was worried to be honest because it didn’t feel good at the beginning. I’m just happy that I was able to play after that and play such good tennis.”
Alcaraz acknowledged the recovery process won’t be easy.”I think it’s not going to be easy the next day and a half for me. I will try to recover, to do whatever it takes to be ready for the next round.”
The top seed will face Belgian Zizou Bergs in the second round on Saturday.
