When Carlos Alcaraz steps onto the court, he usually makes winning look effortless. This tournament, though, the ATP World No.1 had to battle hard as he opened his Japan Open campaign with a gritty win over Sebastian Baez. Now, the 22-year-old has matched his career-high of 65 victories in a single season after overpowering America’s Brandon Nakashima in Tokyo. Striking 39 winners in just an hour and 20 minutes, Alcaraz left no doubt about his form.

Tennis TV later shared a clip on X following Carlos Alcaraz’s dominant victory, where the 22-year-old was doing his courtside interview. One journalist playfully joked about his recent excursion in Japan, where he posed for images clad in the samurai armor known as do-maru: “We spoke earlier in the week about you being a warrior, a samurai warrior; perhaps a wizard with a wand is more apt for that last game. That was incredible.”

Alcaraz, with at a 61-6 win-loss record for the season, responded with humility. “Yeah, I always say that close matches are always difficult, I think even tough when you face match ball when I was returning, so losing that game I thought that it was going to be really difficult,” he explained, recalling the tension of the moment.

And as fate, hard work, and medical support would have it, Alcaraz not only survived but managed to close the contest in style. Reflecting further, he added, “But just as I said, I just try to maintain my focus, trying to play such great points and tennis in the last game and I think I haven’t played such a last game like this, so I’m just really happy about it.”

Alcaraz looked sharp throughout, racing through the first set before aiming to close it out in style. Nakashima, however, saved three match points, forcing Alcaraz to stay locked in. The Spaniard finally forced a fourth match point with a brilliant backhand drop shot that Nakashima couldn’t chase down, then sealed the win with a forehand down the line. With this result, Alcaraz has now reached his first Japan Open semifinal, as well as semifinals in nine straight tournaments. He is set to face Norway’s Casper Ruud, against whom he holds a 4-1 H2H record. And he made his emotions clear after the hard-fought triumph.

Carlos Alcaraz entered Tokyo as the clear favorite to clinch a fourth hard-court title of the year, after earlier triumphs in Rotterdam, Cincinnati, and the US Open. Beyond hard courts, the six-time Grand Slam champion has built an impressive resume in 2025, lifting trophies on clay in Monte Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros, and adding a grass-court title at Queen’s. His form has left little doubt about his dominance across all surfaces this season. Yet, Alcaraz’s season hasn’t been without setbacks.

Carlos Alcaraz credits physio for keeping him battle-ready

Earlier this year, he withdrew from the Madrid Open following an adductor injury in Barcelona against Holger Rune, costing him a shot at a third Madrid crown. Still, he bounced back with two Grand Slam titles, underlining his resilience. Now making his Japan Open debut, he opened with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Sebastian Baez. And though a fresh injury scare briefly threatened to disrupt his campaign, Alcaraz calmed nerves with a timely update just hours before his match against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.

Yesterday, Tennis TV lit up X with a lighthearted clip of Carlos Alcaraz showing off his balance on court. The Spaniard was seen walking the baseline toe-to-heel with precision as fans looked on, prompting the caption: “Balance = ✅ Another challenge? Alcaraz walks right through it. 😉” Soon after, journalist José Morgado shared the clip with the remark: “Carlos Alcaraz checking if he is ready to play later today…” The message was clear: Carlos Alcaraz was locked in, tuned up, and ready to bring the fire. And when the moment came, he did just that.

Despite twisting his left ankle in his opening win over Sebastian Baez, Alcaraz showed no signs of struggle in his next outing. Against Zizou Bergs, he delivered a composed performance in just one hour and 19 minutes.

After the match, the 22-year-old credited his longtime physiotherapist Juanjo Moreno and the rest of his team for their swift work in keeping him match-ready. “I have said it before and I will say it again, I have the best physio in the world, who I trust 100%,” he said, highlighting the support system behind his quick recovery. That said, with Carlos Alcaraz set for his next match against the 26-year-old, the question now is: will he be able to keep things smooth and straightforward this time around? What do you think?