Carlos Alcaraz successfully advanced to the Japan Open quarterfinals on Saturday, putting to rest any lingering concerns about the ankle injury that threatened his tournament campaign just two days earlier. The World No. 1 moved past Belgium’s Zizou Bergs with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory, showing few signs of the injury that had fans and his team worried about his fitness.
His post-match comments provided insight into his recovery process and the anxiety he felt about his ankle’s condition heading into the crucial second-round encounter.
What Did Carlos Alcaraz Say About His Ankle Injury?
Alcaraz’s match against Bergs served as the perfect test for his recovering ankle, and the Spanish star passed with flying colors. The 22-year-old needed just one hour and 20 minutes to dispatch the world No. 45 in straight sets and set up a quarterfinal clash with American Brandon Nakashima. Despite taking the court with visible strapping underneath his left ankle sock, Alcaraz moved freely throughout most of the encounter.
The early stages of the match provided some tense moments when Bergs managed to break Alcaraz’s serve twice in the first set, briefly causing the Spaniard to limp after chasing down a difficult shot. However, these concerns proved short-lived as Alcaraz quickly found his rhythm, delighting the Tokyo crowd with a series of spectacular leaping forehand winners. His ability to showcase his trademark aggressive shot-making suggested the ankle was holding up well under competitive pressure.
When questioned about his ankle’s condition during his on-court post-match interview, Alcaraz revealed the mental battle he faced in the lead-up to the match. The Spaniard responded:
“Well, it was tough. It was a really important day and a half I had to recover as good as I can. I said it before and I’m gonna say it again, I would say I have the best physio in the world, which I trust one hundred percent. The work he’s done for the ankle has been great.”
The World No.1 admitted that despite the positive recovery, he still experienced moments of doubt during the match itself. “Sometimes I was worried about some movement on court where I could feel the ankle. 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.”
🗣️ “It was tough, to be honest, I had a really important day and a half to recover as good as I can.”
Alcaraz shares ankle injury update and physio praise#kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/1x74jfQkt9
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 27, 2025
What Was Alcaraz’s Ankle Injury Scare at the Japan Open?
The ankle injury that dominated headlines occurred during Alcaraz’s opening match against Sebastian Baez on Thursday. In the fifth game with the first set tied at 2-2, Alcaraz stretched for a forehand return and stumbled backward, immediately collapsing to the court while clutching his left ankle.
The sight of the world No. 1 lying on his back, covering his face with his hands in visible distress, sent shockwaves through the Tokyo crowd and tennis community worldwide.
Medical staff quickly attended to Alcaraz, who remained down for several minutes before slowly making his way to his chair. The physio applied extensive strapping to both his ankle and the bottom of his left foot, for stronger support. Despite the heavy treatment required, Alcaraz made the brave decision to continue playing rather than retire from the match.
The drama intensified when rain began falling shortly after Alcaraz had broken Baez’s serve to lead 5-4 in the first set. The 30-minute delay to close the roof actually worked in Alcaraz’s favor, providing additional time for his ankle to receive treatment and for the strapping to be reinforced. When play resumed under cover, he showed renewed confidence, serving out the first set before dominating the second set 6-2.
Alcaraz later admitted the genuine fear he experienced during those initial moments, stating:
“I was scared too, I’m not gonna lie. When I planted the ankle, I was worried, because it didn’t feel good at the beginning.”
Whoever out of Alcaraz and Nakashima wins, will face either fourth seed Casper Ruud or Aleksandar Vukic in the semifinals of the Japan Open.
AloJapan.com