Alcaraz explains how he emerged from the abyss against Arnaldi

Fernando Murciego - 3 Oct 2026 | 09:29
ATP Carlos Alcaraz ATP Tokio 2026 Matteo Arnaldi

A comeback as incredible as the one this morning in Tokyo deserved an explanation beyond that of its protagonist. Alcaraz provided this to recover from a 2-6 deficit in a tiebreak that seemed destined for a verdict.

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This is what Carlos Alcaraz said after coming back against Matteo Arnaldi in Tokyo. Source: ATP

Carlos Alcaraz had to resort to his most intelligent version to overcome Matteo Arnaldi in the round of 16 of the ATP 500 in Tokyo. The player from Murcia found himself in a tough spot in the first set, at one point trailing 2-6 in the tiebreak and having to save four set points before turning the situation around. A reaction that, as he later admitted, proved crucial in explaining the course of the match.

"It's difficult when you're down 6-2 in the tiebreak," Alcaraz admitted after the victory at the microphones of TennisTV. At that moment, the Spaniard even thought about a different scenario: "You think about doing something different in the second set, doing better going forward and winning the match in three sets." However, he decided not to abandon the present and hold on to the match.

The moment that changed everything

"Obviously, I tried to stay there, point by point. At that moment, I changed my way of playing compared to how I had been playing, and it worked," the Murcian added. The next thing we saw was him stringing together six consecutive points to come back from 2-6 and ultimately take the tiebreak 8-6.

He also wanted to highlight the level displayed by his opponent during a good part of the first set. "Matteo has been playing impressively, killing me with his forehand," he noted. Precisely for that reason, closing out that first set had a special significance. "I'm very happy to have won that first set."

From that point on, the match changed completely. Alcaraz returned to the court much more relaxed, focused on the things he needed to do, and ended up winning 7-6, 6-1. A victory that, despite the final score, was much closer to becoming complicated than the result might indicate. "Everything was born from that moment of being down 2-6 in the tiebreak," he insisted. For Alcaraz, the key was very clear to select. "The key was coming back into the match at that moment after making several mistakes." That's why he left particularly satisfied: "I'm happy to have won in straight sets."

Now Denis Shapovalov awaits in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz knows that he will face a player capable of significantly raising his level when facing the top players. Far from seeing it as a problem, the Spaniard interprets it as part of the challenge. "Every player that faces me feels that ability to elevate their level to seek that victory, but this is like a compliment to me," he explained. And about Shapovalov, he was very clear: "He is one of the most aggressive players; I will be ready to run, to defend, and to attack," he concluded about the matchup that will take place this Sunday.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz explica cómo salió del abismo ante Arnaldi