Carlos Alcaraz raised concerns during his Japan Open debut when he went down showing signs of pain. Despite the scare, he won that match and then removed any doubts with a strong second-round victory over Zizou Bergs.
Still dealing with questions about his ankle after the incident against Sebastian Baez in the opener, the Spaniard had no trouble dispatching Bergs 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals, where he will face Brandon Nakashima.
After the match, Alcaraz said the day and a half he had to recover was crucial and praised his physio, Juanjo Moreno, for helping him perform at his best against Bergs. “It was tough and it was a really important day and a half I had to recover as good as I could,” Alcaraz said during his press conference when asked about his ankle.
“I have said it before and I will say it again, I have the best physio in the world, who I trust 100 percent. The work he has done for the ankle has been great. I could play normally, which is great. Sometimes I was worried about some movements when I could feel the ankle, but in general I played some great tennis, a great match,” he added.
Carlos Alcaraz in action during the Japan Open. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
The World No. 1 also admitted he was thinking about his ankle during the match but said he was able to manage it and deliver a strong performance to reach the quarterfinals.
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“In general, I think I played a great match, good performance from my side. I was thinking about the ankle a little bit but overall just really happy about my performance,” Alcaraz concluded.
What’s next for Alcaraz?
Carlitos appears fully recovered from his ankle issue and will now aim for a spot in the semifinals when he faces Brandon Nakashima on Sunday, October 28, going for his eighth title of the season.
The Spaniard is enjoying a remarkable 2025, having already claimed seven titles, including Roland Garros and the US Open, where he defeated Jannik Sinner in both finals. He also recently regained the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings after defeating Sinner at the New York Major.
