A few days ago, before stepping into his opening match at the Japan Open, Carlos Alcaraz suffered a nasty fall that left him shaken. His ankle twisted awkwardly, forcing him to wince on court. Later, he admitted the moment “scared” him. Fast forward five days, and after grinding through back-to-back battles, the Spaniard is holding up his eighth title of the 2025 season. He took down Taylor Fritz in a fiery showdown. And yet, the spotlight of his appreciation? It went to one person.

On Tuesday, Alcaraz struck back at Fritz in commanding fashion inside the Ariake Coliseum. The World No. 1 sealed the deal with a sharp 6-4, 6-4 win in Tokyo, wrapping up a dazzling debut at the ATP 500. He lit up the trophy ceremony with joy. Yet, the moment felt unfinished until he delivered a heartfelt shoutout to his physio.

He said, “Obviously, a special shoutout to Juanjo (Moreno) for the work that you made to make me be in a good shape to play this tournament after the bending my ankle in the first round. It has been amazing and I just really grateful for you, for the work you are doing and yeah, just thank you for an amazing week.” And it rings true.

The Spaniard looked in visible pain through much of the event, ever since the opening round. Many doubted if he could push through to another final. But he defied expectations and kept soaring. Even Brad Gilbert couldn’t help but applaud. The coach wrote on X, “great 👍 effort from Escape from Alcaraz, from struggling with ankle injury 1st rd to winning 8th @atptour 🏆 of the year, another solid week for Fritz Carlton in Tokyo.”

It was no easy fight. The stakes ran high against Fritz. The American had just beaten him at the Laver Cup, leading Team World to snatch the title. But in Tokyo, Alcaraz turned the tables. He showed why he remains a force to reckon with!