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, nearly forcing him off the 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 after he took fall. 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!

It’s not the first time he tipped his hat to his physio at the tournament. After his second-round win over Zizou Bergs, Alcaraz was able to feature today thanks to Moreno, who worked his magic to heal a sprained ankle in record time. The World No.1 tipped his hat to Moreno after the match, saying, “Well, it was tough day and a half, had to recover as best as possible. I said it before and I’ll say it again: I have the best physiotherapist in the world, in whom I trust one hundred percent. The work he has done on the ankle has been excellent.”

On the other hand, while he ended his tournament on a high note, the battle itself was full of tension. During the match, he had an argument with the umpire. Meanwhile, Taylor Fritz was struggling with an injury, which led to an MTO.

Carlos Alcaraz faces a tough challenge during the final

Halfway through the first set, the World No.1 took a seat at the changeover and didn’t hide his frustration after a time violation. Referring to a grueling rally with Fritz, he called out the umpire: “Do you think this is normal? It is normal, or no? I’m asking a question, is it normal or no? Finish the point at the net, I’m a little bit tired about the ball (after the point) and I can go to ask for the balls. Do you think this is normal or no?”

He didn’t hold back, adding pointedly: “You haven’t played tennis in your life, come on. You’ve never played tennis in your life.” That shot clock shook the usually composed Spaniard. But back on the court, Alcaraz bounced back quickly, firing off a series of crisp winners and holding for 3-3.

Meanwhile, Fritz was fighting his own battle, taking a medical timeout for a left thigh injury after the first set. The injury clearly slowed him down, with taping added during the second-set changeover. Alcaraz capitalized immediately, breaking serve at the start and using drop shots to tighten his grip on the match.

Despite the intensity, both held no hard feelings later. Carlos Alcaraz praised Fritz in the ceremony, calling him “such a great tennis player, such a great athlete” and admitting, “it’s always really tough playing against you.” Those words carried real respect between rivals likely to clash on big stages again. The match wrapped quickly, but the mutual admiration stuck around.

With his eighth title of the season secured, Carlos is now focusing on recovery. He’s pulled out of the Shanghai Masters starting Friday to treat his injury. Perhaps with this break, he will return stronger and more ready for the next challenge. Thoughts? Drop them in the comments!