Carlos Alcaraz seems ready to continue his maiden ATP 500 Tokyo campaign after an anxious 48 hours. World no. 1 injured his left ankle in the first-round match against Sebastian Baez on Thursday.
The setback occurred in the fifth game of the duel, and the Spaniard received a medical timeout. He continued and earned a 6-4, 6-2 victory. He finished the duel with a compression bandage, and the pain did not go away after the duel.
The six-time Major champion skipped Friday's training session to rest and treat his injury under the supervision of his physiotherapist, Juanjo Moreno. With valuable ATP points on the line, Alcaraz took no risk.
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The young gun prioritized recovery and gave his ankle time to settle. On Saturday, encouraging news arrived for his fans, with the 22-year-old returning to the practice court ahead of his second-round clash against Belgium's Zizou Bergs.
Carlos moved well and smiled throughout the session, testing his troubled ankle and looking well-prepared to fight for a place in the quarter-final. He looked comfortable while hitting and showed no visible discomfort.
Thus, Alcaraz raised hopes that a scary injury should be behind him. The organizers scheduled his match for the night session, which gave him extra time to rest and test his movement.
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With a couple of notable tournaments coming by the end of the season, Carlos remains cautious but optimistic as chases strong finish to a remarkable season and a year-end no. 1 honor.
For now, his Tokyo quest continues, and his ankle seems ready for the challenge. Will he play at his best and remain on the title course? We should find out in a couple of hours.
Alcaraz is chasing his ninth consecutive ATP final since April, dominating since Monte Carlo and building a healthy advantage over Jannik Sinner in the ATP Race to Turin.
