Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz dispelled injury concerns with a commanding performance at the Japan Open 2025, defeating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6–4, 6–3 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Just two days earlier, Alcaraz had suffered an ankle injury during his opening match, raising doubts about his fitness. However, the world No. 1 returned to the court with his ankle strapped and showed no signs of discomfort, thrilling the Japanese crowd with his trademark leaping forehand winners and aggressive baseline play.
Despite a brief limp early in the match, Alcaraz maintained control, breaking Bergs twice in the first set and racing ahead in the second. He sealed the win in just 80 minutes, finishing with a powerful forehand volley at the net.
Alcaraz will face Brandon Nakashima of the United States in the quarterfinals on Sunday. The Spaniard is playing in Japan for the first time and has quickly become a crowd favorite.
In other matches, Denmark’s Holger Rune, seeded third, also advanced with a straight-sets win over American qualifier Ethan Quinn.
