(Video) Carlos Alcaraz Falls in Pain in Major Injury Scare During his Opening Match at the Tokyo Open

Carlos Alcaraz to face Zizou Bergs in the second round of the Tokyo Open after beating Sebastian Beaz.

(Video) Carlos Alcaraz Falls in Pain in Major Injury Scare During his Opening Match at the Tokyo Open

Carlos Alcaraz fell in pain (via X/Carlos Alcaraz fan/TNT Sports)

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Carlos Alcaraz overcame a frightening injury scare during his match against Sebastian Baez in the first round of the Tokyo Open. The World No.1 was in pain after he injured his ankle while speeding on the court in the first set of the match. He went on to beat the Argentine star, claiming his second win since the US Open.

Alcaraz entered the Tokyo Open as the overwhelming favorite after deciding not to defend his China Open title. He arrived at the tournament following Team Europe’s unsuccessful title bid at the Laver Cup. The Spaniard didn’t begin in his best form against Baez on Thursday (September 25) as the Argentine star showed more aggression on the court.

Then there was dead silence over Ariake Coliseum when he went down 20 minutes into the match. In the fifth game against Baez, with the score 2-2, Alcaraz’s left leg gave out as he tried to change direction, charging forward, away from his baseline.

He clutched his head first, before grabbing his left ankle in pain. He was forced to receive medical attention. His left ankle and heel were taped during the medical timeout. He managed to return to the court and did well to remain in the match until the ninth set when he broke Baez for the first time in the match.

But before he could seal the first set win, it began raining, which forced play to be suspended for 20 minutes. During that period, Alcaraz had a long chat with his team about how he felt after the injury scare. When the roof was closed, Alcaraz returned to play and immediately won the first set 6-4.

From there on, Baez had no answer to Alcaraz’s onslaught of excellent shots and volleys. The 22-year-old got better as the game continued, beating his opponent at every point and breaking him twice in the set. He needed just over an hour and thirty minutes to wrap up the match 6-4, 6-2, earning a place in the second round of the Tokyo Open.

The win was Alcaraz’s 63rd of the season and he has won seven titles, including two Grand Slams this season. His last title came at the US Open in New York, where he had to beat Jannik Sinner in four sets in the final. It was his sixth Grand Slam title and fourth in the past two seasons on tour.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals how he felt after he jarred his left ankle at the Tokyo Open

Carlos Alcaraz didn’t look disturbed in the second set of his match against Sebastian Baez, despite the first set injury scare. He looked sharp on the court, countering all the tactics the Argentine star deployed during their clash. The 22-year-old won the match without much struggle, sealing his place in the second round of the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (via the US Open)

During his on-court interview, he was asked how he felt after he jarred his left ankle in the first set. The World No.1 revealed that he was scared after he fell to the ground, but began to recover well during the course of the match:

I was scared too, I’m not gonna lie. When I planted the ankle, I was worried, because it didn’t feel good at the beginning. I’m just happy that I was able to play good tennis after that and finish the match quite good. I will try to recover to do whatever it takes to be ready for the next round. I was worried that I wouldn’t have the confidence to finish the match, but the physio came and did some tests.

Alcaraz will now face Zizou Bergs in the second round of the Tokyo Open. Bergs stunned Alejandro Tabilo 1-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to earn his place in the next stage of the tournament. Meanwhile, Alcaraz is now seeking to win the Tokyo Open, which will take his title tally of the season to eight.

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