Winning hurts less

There you have it, worries are over, all doubts have been resolved. Carlos Alcaraz is fine, in fact, he might be feeling better than you and me. This Saturday, after giving his bruised ankle 48 hours of rest, the El Palmar tennis player took the opportunity to face off against Zizou Bergs to show us that he remains just as competitive despite being slightly injured (6-4, 6-3). A good match, as usual when the World No. 1 plays, to secure his spot in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 in Tokyo and ensure that the organization keeps smiling for another day. When Carlos smiles, the whole world smiles, except Bergs.

More than fear, there were doubts about whether that left ankle would cause trouble again. It didn't trouble him as much during the match against Báez, as the Murcian quickly set himself up to do his job and seal the victory. The real problems would come the next day upon waking up and realizing that the pain hadn't disappeared, it was still there, and it could jeopardize his match this Saturday. Carlitos rested, received treatment, didn't train, and followed his team's instructions at all times. If he completed each phase, it was normal for him to be able to step onto the court in the last match of the day in Japan. And so he did, now the second part of the deal was pending.

The second part had nothing to do with the physical aspect. This was about his mentality, removing any hint of concern from it, that understandable fear that makes you think about the ankle with every run, every jump, every hit. Surely he wasn't feeling 100% from the start, hence why Bergs took advantage to break his serve in the third game of the match, showing bravery and composure against an opponent who needed more time to find his comfort. Ultimately, that break was crucial to push him to take a step further, as his reaction was immediate. Final score of this first set: 6-4 for the Spanish player.

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VICTORY AND PEACE OF MIND

It was in the second set when the Belgian's weaknesses were truly evident, a player with cheerful and offensive tennis that can cause trouble sporadically, but tends to struggle more when facing the top players. Not due to skill level, but due to lack of sustained level. When a train passes and he doesn't catch it, his belief in seeing another one diminishes to the point that the station closes. On the contrary, Alcaraz inflated himself, grew emotionally, took control of the match, and fried his opponent with forehand shots. It all flowed so smoothly that we even forgot that, just three hours ago, we weren't even sure if he could step onto the court. But he did, he won, and he secured his ticket to the quarterfinals. Brandon Nakashima awaits him there, be careful.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ganando duele menos