Carlos Alcaraz forced to seek medical attention after suffering ankle injury

Carlos Alcaraz returned to the courts this Thursday and had a regrettable debut, suffering a fall and an ankle injury after only four games in the Japan Open. The new World No. 1 was forced to call a medical timeout after sustaining a problem with his left foot just four games into his match against Argentina’s Sebastián Báez.

It has not been a great return to competition for Alcaraz since winning the US Open title and reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking. He participated in the Laver Cup, falling in his debut match to Taylor Fritz in one of the key duels that ultimately tilted the balance in favor of Team World. He also defeated Francisco Cerúndolo on the final day, though it wasn't enough for a comeback.

However, this time in Tokyo was the first time he was playing 'for ranking points' since returning to the top spot. The six-time Grand Slam champion started strongly, securing an early break against the World No. 41 and then serving to take a 2-0 lead.

The Argentine, Báez, quickly responded and managed to break back at love in the fourth game, leveling the score and preparing to serve. Báez was only one service point into the fifth game (score 2-2) when Alcaraz fell, forcing him to take a medical timeout for several minutes. The issue was an ankle injury, which was quickly bandaged so he could resume the match.