Carlos Alcaraz survived a scary moment during his contest against Sebastian Baez on Thursday, recovering from an ankle injury before claiming victory.
At 2-2 in the first set, Alcaraz moved to chase down a drop shot from his opponent, and subsequently began hobbling before lying down on the court.
Fortunately for the Spaniard, he was able to manage the injury following a medical timeout before emerging victorious against Baez, 6-4, 6-2.
This was an almighty scare for the Spaniard, who is scheduled to play Belgium’s Zizou Bergs next at the Japan Open.
After the match, Alcaraz revealed there was one aspect of his movement that saved him from seriously damaging his ankle.
Carlos Alcaraz says moving forward saved him from serious injury
During his post-match press conference, Alcaraz said: “It was unlucky. I was unlucky.
“I was feeling good, and it was about running to that drop shot he made in the fifth game, and yeah, that happened.
“I would say it saved me that it was going forward, and thanks to that, it didn’t blend [twist] it all, it was just a little bit. I was worried because the first minutes of blending my ankle, I didn’t feel good at all.
“But then after, I started to feel a little bit better.
“I could walk to the bench, which for me, was a relief. Right now I’m just feeling the same way, which for me I would say it’s great because when it cooled down, I feel the same way as I was playing on court.
“I think it’s a great sign.”
This injury represented a warning for Alcaraz, who will not want to suffer a serious injury at any stage in his career, let alone at the age of 22.
However, the Spaniard demonstrated immense fortitude to fight through the pain and emerge victorious against Baez.
As per Sofascore, Alcaraz made 77 per cent of his first serves, winning 72 per cent of those points.
The Spaniard also converted four of his five break-point opportunities, while limiting Baez to just one break of serve.
Alcaraz hits the 90 per cent mark
Carlos Alcaraz continues to impress, even when battling through injury.
Following his victory over Baez, Carlos Alcaraz now has a record of 63-7 at the ATP level in 2025, meaning his win percentage is 90 per cent, as per OptaAce.
This number is the highest percentage of any ATP player this season. Jannik Sinner is the only other player above the 80 per cent mark, with a win percentage of 88.1 per cent across 2025.
The highest single-season win percentage in men’s Open Era history is held by John McEnroe, who recorded an 82-3 record in 1984: a win percentage of 96.5 per cent.
