Carlos Alcaraz's Tokyo participation in doubt after latest injury update

Friday, 26 September 2025 at 10:42

byErik Virostko

Carlos Alcaraz knows his schedule for Saturday at the 2025 Japan Open in Tokyo, but he doesn't yet know whether he will appear on the tennis courts.

Alcaraz traveled to Tokyo instead of Beijing this year, seeking to experience a different city and venue. But his experiment didn't get off to a good start when he injured himself during the fifth game of his first-round match against Sebastian Baez.

Surprisingly, the 22-year-old carried on and completed his match against Baez. He won in two sets, 6-4, 6-2. Thanks to the schedule at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo, he had a day of rest on Friday, giving him more time to evaluate his injury.

Alcaraz was very optimistic right after his match against Baez. He stated that the initial pain disappeared after a few minutes, and that he didn't feel any pain during his press conference either.

"I was unlucky. I was feeling good, and that happened. I would say it saved me that I was going forward. I was worried because of the first minutes of hurting my ankle, I didn’t feel good at all, but then afterwards I started to feel a bit better."

"I could walk to the bench, which for me was a relief, and right now I'm feeling the same way, which for me is great, because when it cooled down and I'm feeling the same way as on the court, I think it's a great sign."

Although Alcaraz was optimistic after his match, the latest development has been a bit different. According to the Spanish publication MARCA, the Spaniard missed his practice session on Friday.

The same report from MARCA also mentions that even 24 hours later, Alcaraz still feels pain, which isn't a positive sign. He was scheduled to play the last match of the day on Saturday when he should take on Zizou Bergs.

Alcaraz's personality could be a problem in similar situations

Alcaraz is one of the most liked players on the ATP Tour, and that's not only among his colleagues but also among the fans. As he mentioned after his first-round win in Tokyo, fans were one of the main reasons why he wanted to finish the match.

Although it's understandable how the 22-year-old feels about possibly disappointing fans who spent money to watch him play, as a professional athlete, he must be able to prioritize himself and his own health.

Alcaraz will likely want to appear on the court in Tokyo again, but given the challenging schedule he has in the coming months, the Spaniard should not risk further injury and instead choose to withdraw from the ATP 500 event.

He is scheduled to play at the Shanghai Masters and the Paris Masters, but more importantly, the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup Finals, two tournaments he has never managed to win before.