Carlos Alcaraz may have to consider making a difficult decision with the rest of the season in mind after sustaining an injury in his opening match at the 2025 Japan Open.
The world No 1 overcame a serious injury scare to defeat Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-2 on his debut at the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo on Thursday.
In the fifth game of the match, Alcaraz pulled up and fell to the court having appeared unable to put weight on his left foot after moving to chase down a drop shot.
The Spanish superstar was in visible discomfort as he sat on the court and he remained there as the physio carried out some tests. Alcaraz was then able to walk to his chair and managed to continue playing.
Despite the fact Alcaraz cruised to a decisive win, there were clear signs he was not at his peak physically; he appeared hesitant when moving to his left and he went to the backhand slice far more frequently than he usually would. Alcaraz also celebrated the win in muted fashion.
In an interview with Tennis TV, Alcaraz clarified that the issue was with his left ankle and admitted he had been concerned after it happened.
“I was scared too, I’m not gonna lie. When I plant the ankle, I was worried, to be honest, because I didn’t feel good at the beginning,” he said.
Alcaraz added: “Let’s see, it’s not gonna be easy the next day, day and a half for me. So I will try to recover, to do whatever it takes to be ready for the next round, to try to play and have a good level enough to compete in the next round.”
The 22-year-old took the decision not to practise on Friday on the advice of his physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.
While it is not uncommon for players to take rest days rather than practise during tournaments, the move only adds to the concern over Alcaraz’s physical state.
Alcaraz is due to face world No 45 Zizou Bergs in the second round at the Japan Open on Saturday, and the match has been scheduled for the last slot of the night session in Tokyo.
This gives Alcaraz the maximum possible time to recover and prepare, but there is an argument that he should not take to the court at all.
Alcaraz admitted he “thought about” pulling out of his match with Baez, but also expressed that he was conscious of not wanting to disappoint the fans.
“You know, for the fans as well, I could have felt a little bit guilty if I couldn’t continue or play some tennis for the fans, so I just tried to have a good mindset and just give everything that I have,” he told Tennis TV.
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The six-time Grand Slam champion will have almost certainly received a huge appearance fee to play in Tokyo, which is another factor that makes the prospect of cutting short his debut campaign at the event a difficult one.
Although it is encouraging that Alcaraz was able to continue and win so comfortably against Baez, there may be a risk the ankle issue could worsen if he continues his campaign at the event.
A more serious setback would be a huge blow for Alcaraz given what lies ahead in the rest of the 2025 season.
Alcaraz is next due to play the prestigious Shanghai Masters, which begins on October 1 — the day after the Japan Open concludes — and finishes on October 12.
He is then set to star at the Six Kings Slam, a lucrative exhibition that will be staged in Saudi Arabia from October 15-18. The six participants earn a guaranteed fee of $1.5million with the winner taking home an eye-watering additional $4.5million.
The Spaniard could compete at one of the indoor ATP 500 events in Vienna and Basel, which run from October 20-26 in the week before the season’s final Masters 1000 event in Paris (October 27 to November 2).
The eight top players in 2025 will then battle it out at the ATP Finals — the biggest tournament outside the four Grand Slams — from November 9-16 in Turin. Alcaraz booked his spot at the showpiece event in July.
Alcaraz is also expected to represent Spain at the Davis Cup Finals, which will be staged in Bologna from November 18-23.
This is a packed end to the campaign with huge titles and prize money sums on the line, and Alcaraz will understandably want to play as much as possible.
The risk of injury is a real concern for Alcaraz, though, given how much tennis he has played in a staggering run of form since the start of the clay-court season.
Starting with the Monte Carlo Masters in April, Alcaraz has reached the final at eight consecutive tournaments across all three surfaces, claiming six titles and finishing as a runner-up twice. He played 48 matches in this run and added a further four at the Laver Cup last week.
It is somewhat surprising that Alcaraz chose to play both the Laver Cup last week and the Japan Open this week after such a gruelling stretch. Alcaraz missed the Madrid Masters due to an adductor injury he sustained in Barcelona, and he has dealt with other injury setbacks in previous seasons.
Considering Alcaraz’s stellar performances over the last six months, his body breaking down may be the only thing that could derail his progress.
Managing the schedule is, therefore, vital — and that may mean sacrificing an event to rest. The Japan Open may be that tournament given Alcaraz’s ankle concerns.
Since Alcaraz is in pole position to end the season as world No 1 — he holds a healthy 2,590-point lead over Jannik Sinner — he can likely afford to miss some action and still finish on top.
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