In Carlos Alcaraz’s first ATP tour-level match since his US Open win over Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 took a scary fall in the first set of Thursday’s match against Sebastian Baez.
As he tried to run from the baseline to defend a drop-shot, Alcaraz began hopping on one leg in visible pain. Moments later, he fell to the ground, covering his face while the physio was called.
Although fans feared the worst, with some going so far as to theorize about a possible Achilles injury, Alcaraz was able to finish up the match, winning in straight sets.
During his on-court interview, he spoke about the injury:
“I was scared too, I’m not going to lie. When I landed on the ankle, I was worried to be honest because it didn’t feel good at the beginning. I’m just happy that I was able to play after that and play such good tennis.
“Let’s see. I think it’s not going to be easy the next day and a half for me. I will try to recover, to do whatever it takes to be ready for the next round.”
Alcaraz on the first-set injury scare
#kinoshitajotennisAlcaraz Opens Up On Injury During Post-Match Press Conference
After finishing up his on-court interview, Alcaraz went on to shed further light on the injury during his post-match press conference.
While oftentimes athletes who sustain injuries wind up seeing a big flare-up once they’re done playing and the adrenaline wears off, that wasn’t the case for Alcaraz.
“I feel like it was unlucky. … After all I started to feel a little bit better. I was able to walk to the bench, which for me was a relief. Right now I’m feeling the same way, so I would say it’s great because when it cooled down I felt the same as when I was playing. I think It’s a great sign.”
Alcaraz is now set to face off against Belgian standout Zizou Bergs, who is fresh off a hard-fought win over Alejandro Tabilo in the Round of 32.
World No. 1 Talks About Absence of Jannik Sinner in Tokyo
In the wake of their US Open final earlier this month, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner started off the Asian hard court swing by participating in different tournaments.
While Alcaraz went to Tokyo for the Japan Open, Sinner and his team hit Beijing for the China Open.
When asked if he was relieved to play a tournament where he wouldn’t have to face off against Sinner, the world No. 1 explained to Tennis Channel:
“It’s not a relief to be honest. I love playing against him. I think every time that we play against each other it helped me to be better and to increase my level which I love. I wanted to play in a different place in a different stadium that I haven’t play
ed, so for me that’s what I changed, but it’s great playing with other players as well.”
While Sinner and Alcaraz are playing different tournaments right now, the two are both listed as entrants for the Rolex Shanghai Masters at the start of next month.
Carlos Alcaraz Gives Update on Scary Ankle Injury