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Prayers Pour in for Carlos Alcaraz as He Makes Shocking Shanghai Masters Decision Hours After Japan Triumph

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Vatsal Shah | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 12:09 PM ET

Who can stop Carlos Alcaraz at the moment? The Spaniard has been at the top of his game, winning the US Open title recently and clinching the top spot in the ATP rankings. Subsequently, he continued his winning run as Alcaraz won the Japan Open title today, defeating Taylor Fritz in the summit clash. While he was on a high, Alcaraz received an unexpected setback in the form of an injury. As a result, he had to pull out of the upcoming Shanghai Masters.

Announcing this saddening news, Alcaraz took to his official Instagram handle and said, “I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year! Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believed the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!”

With the race to finish the year as World Number 1 heating up between him and Sinner, Alcaraz’s fans were disappointed after he pulled out of the Shanghai Masters. This can have a serious blow on Alcaraz in this regard but fans wished him a speedy recovery ahead.

Fans pray for Carlos Alcaraz as injury blow comes to the fore

The Spaniard suffered a nasty fall during his first-round encounter at the Japan Open and injured his ankle in the process. Although he continued playing in that tournament and won it, his team advised him to get suitable rest. While fans were disappointed not to see him play in Shanghai, they wished to see him get well soon. One of the fans wrote, “Sad but hope he can recovery soon especially his ankle problem,” as he was hopeful to see Alcaraz back in action soon.

Sad but hope he can recovery soon especially his ankle problem

— Debora (@Deboraleeeeee) September 30, 2025

Further, some fans thought that it was a blessing in disguise to see Alcaraz resting and not play in back-to-back tournaments. “That’s a good move – need to rest up champ,” a concerned fan said, as he wanted him to prioritize his well-being, now that the Grand Slams were done and dusted this season. Similarly, another fan had mixed feelings after Alcaraz pulled out of the Shanghai Masters. The fan revealed, “heartbroken but im glad he’ll be resting.” With still a long way to go in Alcaraz’s career, he has to listen to his body and not push it beyond the limit to continue playing at the top.

Further, a fan acknowledged the tough tennis calendar and how playing back-to-back tournaments can take a toll on the players’ bodies. Thus, when Alcaraz pulled out of the Shanghai Masters, the fan said, “quite a relief the last leg of the season is crazyyyyy and at least he gets a reprieve.” With this, Alcaraz would be able to recover for the latter part of the season, with tournaments like the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals still to come. Lastly, one of the fans even suggested a different idea to Alcaraz so that he could play the entire Asian Swing. “Hope he skip LC next year and just be ready 100% for Asian swing,” the fan said, as he wanted Alcaraz to miss the Laver Cup, which is not an ATP tournament.

Alcaraz missed the Shanghai Masters last year as well and doesn’t have any points to defend. Nonetheless, he hopes to come back fitter and stronger next month and continue to win matches.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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