World No.1 Alcaraz makes his ATP 500 Tokyo debut, playing through a minor injury

It was unimaginable that Alcaraz, the new US Open champion and world No.1, competing for the first time at the ATP 500 Tokyo event, would suddenly face an injury, which was truly worrisome!

In the first round against Argentina’s young talent Baez, the match took a sudden turn at the start of the fifth game in the first set. Alcaraz twisted his left ankle while running and collapsed in pain. Fortunately, after brief treatment and bandaging, he returned to the court, persevered through the match, and defeated Baez in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the second round in Tokyo.

After that match and until the start of the second round yesterday afternoon, millions of fans were anxious about the condition of Alcaraz’s left ankle, wondering if he would withdraw. When fans finally saw the last match of the second round start as scheduled, with world No.1 Alcaraz playing through a minor injury and continuing to compete, it was truly a moment of joy and relief!

Belgium’s No.45 ranked player Berghes bravely challenged world No.1 Alcaraz, not only earning multiple break points during the match but also breaking Alcaraz’s serve three times across the first and second sets, putting considerable pressure on the top-ranked player. However, despite playing injured, Alcaraz’s superior skills prevailed. He broke Berghes’ serve one more time in each set and won 6-4, 6-3, successfully reaching the quarterfinals in Tokyo.

Still, Alcaraz showed several issues in this match while playing through injury. Concerned about worsening the injury or causing a secondary one, he held back on his movement and didn’t chase every ball as aggressively as before. To conserve energy and reduce risk, he played very aggressively, launching powerful attacks even when the timing wasn’t perfect, aiming to shorten points and avoid extended rallies. This strategy earned him many winners but also led to numerous unforced errors. He lost his serve three times, matching the total number of service breaks he suffered in all seven rounds at the 2025 US Open.

Throughout the match, Alcaraz appeared somewhat restrained or subdued. Whether making unforced errors or hitting brilliant winners, he showed little frustration or excitement. Even at the moment of victory, he only smiled slightly. This indicates the heavy psychological burden he carries, with the injury to his left ankle still casting a shadow over him.

In a post-match interview, Alcaraz said, “The injury to my left ankle isn’t serious. The best masseur in the world has done a great job treating it, allowing me to continue competing. Although I was somewhat worried during the match and couldn’t fully relax, I still played a great match and advanced to the next round.”

This afternoon at 4:30 PM, in the ATP 500 Tokyo quarterfinals, world No.1 Alcaraz will face the world No.33 American Brandon Nakashima, who is of Vietnamese descent. Born in August 2001, Nakashima faced Alcaraz once before during the 2021 ATP Milan Next Gen Finals group stage, losing in straight sets to the eventual champion. In 2022, Nakashima won the ATP 250 San Diego title, reached the third round of the French Open and the fourth round of Wimbledon, and won the year-end Next Gen Finals by winning five consecutive matches.

At the 2023 Shanghai Masters second round, Nakashima defeated Denmark’s rising star Rune 6-0, 6-2, marking his first career win over a top-5 player. In the 2024 season, Nakashima reached the round of 16 at both the Rogers Cup Masters in Canada and the US Open. Although his 2025 Grand Slam performances were disappointing, his results reaching the round of 16 at Indian Wells, Miami, and Madrid Masters helped him achieve his career-high ranking of No.29 on May 5.

The US Open official website described Nakashima as “having a steady and reliable backhand and an impressive serve, with no obvious technical weaknesses.” German player Zverev called Nakashima “a good player with an incredible backhand that’s really impressive.”

Facing such a dangerous opponent in Nakashima, world No.1 Alcaraz, playing through a minor injury, is expected to adopt a similar strategy as in yesterday’s match for today’s quarterfinal: increasing offensive aggression, skillfully using drop shots and net approaches, and minimizing running to avoid potential risks. But will Nakashima, like Baez and Berghes in the earlier rounds, easily surrender?

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Qicidoufen)