Alcaraz Turns Ankle Scare into Tokyo Grit

The humid haze of Tokyo enveloped Ariake Coliseum as Carlos Alcaraz lunged for a crosscourt backhand at 2-2 in the first set, his left ankle buckling on the slick hard court. He crumpled to the baseline, hand pressing the joint, the crowd’s murmur swelling into a collective hush amid the arena’s bright glare. Yet the Spaniard rose, eyes narrowed against the discomfort, refusing to let the moment derail his rhythm against Sebastian Baez‘s probing defense.

A fleeting fear grips the champion

Alcaraz rubbed his eyes, the sting of worry blending with the lights as he held the ankle, its throb a sharp reminder of the season’s toll. The physio hurried on court, conducting tests that allowed him to walk steadily to the bench, a small victory that reignited his confidence. With strapping now securing the joint, he resumed play, his footwork adapting to shorter slides that preserved the leg while sharpening his one–two punch of serve and inside-out forehand.

“When I planted the ankle, I was worried, because it didn’t feel good at the beginning,” Alcaraz said. “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.”

Baez paced during the pause, sensing a potential opening, but Alcaraz’s renewed focus turned the tide, his flatter shots exploiting the surface’s speed to pin the Argentine deep in rallies.

Warrior resolve amid seasonal strain

This wasn’t merely a second-round skirmish; it mirrored Alcaraz’s 2025 odyssey, layered with expectations from major triumphs and Olympic pressures, now compounded by Asia’s tight schedule. He channeled the scare into a warrior’s edge, breaking Baez at 4-4 with an inside-in forehand that kissed the line, the crowd’s roar echoing like a release. In the second set, his down-the-line backhands varied the patterns, cracking the opponent’s steady baseline game as crosscourt exchanges grew lopsided, culminating in a 6-2 finish that felt like hard-won defiance. The strapping held firm through every slide, allowing cautious underspin to the ad side that conserved energy while probing weaknesses, Baez’s low slices neutralized by the faster tempo. Alcaraz reflected on the physio’s intervention restoring his poise, that reassurance fueling a mentality he applies to every point, blending precision with relentless drive. As humid air thickened the night, the match became a testament to mental fortitude, the world No. 1 advancing while eyeing deeper runs to cap the year.

Toward recovery and relentless pursuit

Post-match, he spoke of rebuilding trust through basic mobility, the ankle’s initial wobble now a badge of resilience rather than hindrance. With the third round approaching, Alcaraz plans full recovery, perhaps leaning on more varied serves and slices to protect the joint amid the unforgiving hard courts. In Tokyo’s electric pulse, this scare steels him for the autumn grind, where tactical evolution and unyielding spirit will define his path forward.