The world’s leading tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz, expressed feelings of “unease” after sustaining an ankle injury during his opening-round match at the Japan Open in Tokyo on Thursday.
Alcaraz, the tournament’s top-seeded player, suffered a twisted left ankle while playing against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. The incident occurred when the first set was tied at 2-2. He required immediate attention from the medical staff and had his ankle heavily taped.
He resumed play and achieved a break against Baez, taking a 5-4 lead. However, his support team appeared to signal for him to stop playing at this point. Subsequently, the match was temporarily halted due to rainfall, causing a further delay.
Upon their return to the court, with the roof now closed, Alcaraz, who recently secured the men’s US Open title, demonstrated dominance and ultimately won the match with scores of 6-4, 6-2.
“I felt a sense of fear, and I won’t deny it,” admitted Alcaraz, a six-time Grand Slam champion.
“When my ankle made impact, I was genuinely concerned because it didn’t feel right initially. I’m just grateful that I could continue playing and perform at such a high level. We’ll have to wait and see.
“I anticipate that the next 36 hours will present challenges for me. I will dedicate myself to recovery and do everything necessary to prepare for the next stage.”
Alcaraz is scheduled to compete against Zizou Bergs of Belgium in the second round on Saturday.
