By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, September 25, 2025Photo credit: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty
Carlos Alcaraz hit the floor then showed a high ceiling for pain and perseverance.
World No. 1 Alcaraz overcame an ankle injury and Sebastian Baez posting a 6-4, 6-2 triumph in his Tokyo debut.
The US Open champion was playing his first ATP tournament since regaining the world No. 1 ranking and his Asian return was very nearly cut short.
Alcaraz crashed to the court clutching his left ankle and left heel in pain in the fifth game. Following a visit from the trainer who taped up his ankle and about a 30-minute rain delay, Alcaraz broke for 5-4 then served out the opening set at love.
Moving more freely in the second set, Alcaraz broke serve in two of Baez’s first three service games snatching a 5-1 second-set lead. Alcaraz served out the match at 15.
Afterward, the six-time Grand Slam champion conceded he was both scared and worried.
“”When it happened, I didn’t feel well at all. I couldn’t do anything in the first five minutes,” Alcaraz said. “So I was worried, because I didn’t have confidence to continue. But the physio came and put some bandages on me that were very good and made me not feel anything, which for me was very good.
“I could walk and I gained a lot of confidence in being able to continue, after having thought that I could not do it.”
Regaining stability in his left ankle empowered Alcaraz to step on the throttle powering past Baez.
Alcaraz said in his moment of doubt he reminded himself to maintain warrior mode.
“I try to have a warrior mentality always, in every game and every aspect,” Alcaraz said. “That’s what I thought. Try to do your best, as much as you can to make good tennis for people.
“I couldn’t fail them, because I would feel a little guilty. So I continued for them as well, with a good mentality and giving everything I had.”
The top-seeded Spaniard advanced to a second-round meeting vs. Zizou Bergs, who ousted edged Chengdu champion Alejandro Tabilo 1-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4). Alcaraz improved to an ATP-best 63-7 in 2025, including a 48-3 run since April.
“When I sprained my ankle, I was worried, to be honest. I didn’t feel well at first,” Alcaraz said. “So I’m happy that I was able to play after that and play good tennis to finish this well.
“We have to see. It won’t be easy the next day and a half for me. I’ll try to recover, to do everything I can to be ready for the next round and try to play and do it at a level enough to compete. Although I have been unlucky.”
Fresh off his heroics to lead Team World to the Laver Cup championship, Taylor Fritz fought off Gabriel Diallo 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3).
The second-seeded Fritz fired 13 aces in a two hour, nine-minute win. Fritz will face Nuno Borges next.
