Carlos Alcaraz Shakes Off Injury, But Was His Tokyo Win a Fluke?

Carlos Alcaraz, the phenom who’s been collecting titles like they’re Pokémon cards, just booked his ticket to his 13th quarter-final of the season in Tokyo. On paper, it was a straightforward 6-4, 6-3 win against Zizou Bergs that took a breezy hour and 19 minutes. But let’s be real, anyone who watched that match probably felt their heart skip a beat more than once. This wasn’t the usual Alcaraz masterclass; this was a “hold your breath and hope for the best” kind of performance.

Just a couple of days ago, the tennis world collectively gasped when Alcaraz tweaked his left ankle. He even skipped training on Friday, which is never a good sign. So, when he stepped onto the court against Bergs, everyone was watching that ankle, not the ball. He moved, he lunged, he didn’t immediately crumble into a heap of despair. Great. But the flawless, untouchable Alcaraz we’re used to? He must have left that guy in the locker room.

This match was sloppy, chaotic, and frankly, a bit of a nail-biter for anyone with money on Alcaraz. If you just look at the score, you’d think, “Classic Carlitos, another day at the office.” But dig a little deeper, and the stats tell a story of a player who was just winging it and hoping his raw talent would be enough. And lucky for him, it was.

Alcaraz’s Shaky Start and Mid-Match Woes

The match kicked off with a trade of breaks, which is code for “neither player could hold their serve to save their life.” Alcaraz, usually so dominant in his service games, looked vulnerable. He struggled mightily on his second serve, winning so few points on it that you have to wonder if he was just lobbing them over out of sheer politeness. He gave Bergs six break point opportunities, and the Belgian managed to convert three of them. Against a top-tier opponent, giving up three breaks is a death sentence. Against Zizou Bergs, it’s just a recipe for a very stressful afternoon.

Alcaraz did manage to snag a break to go up 5-2 in the first set, looking like he was finally about to put the pedal to the metal. But then, in classic “let’s make this interesting” fashion, he got broken while serving for the set. Seriously? You could almost hear the collective groan from his fans. Fortunately, he broke right back to close out the opener 6-4, but it was far from convincing. It felt less like a strategic victory and more like he just happened to win the last point.

Is Alcaraz Running on Fumes?