Alcaraz regains his smile: "I was wondering if I would be the same again"

Fernando Murciego - 6 Oct 2026 | 13:52
ATP Carlos Alcaraz ATP Tokio 2026

The Spaniard shared some intrusive thoughts that had been hammering him these last few months. Today, after revalidating his crown in Tokyo, the ghosts remain buried.

Go to comments section Preferir Puntodebreak en Google
Alcaraz regains his smile: "I wondered if I would be the same again." Source: Getty

No matter how good one is, no matter how well things are going, you never know at which corner fate might twist your plans. This is what Carlos Alcaraz has suffered in 2026, although the Spaniard seems to be back in the same place he was before his serious injury.

After lifting the ATP 500 in Tokyo for the second consecutive year, the Murcian has taken the next step on the ladder, a double leap that allows him to see that he is already ready to compete for a week, beat the best, and, just to top it off, expand his trophy cabinet. Everything went well in this experience in Japan, which is why he seemed so happy to the microphones of TennisTV when he managed to defeat Jiri Lehecka in straight sets.

“I am very happy to lift a trophy again, it has been quite some time. This one is very special after my injury, coming back and lifting the title in my second tournament is very important for me,” Alcaraz acknowledged after winning the championship. A victory that comes after a week in which not everything was easy for Spain's number one, who had to find solutions at different moments to keep his path to the title alive.

Alcaraz himself admitted that his level was not always as expected, but he especially highlighted his ability to correct problems as the tournament progressed. “At times I didn’t play well throughout the week, but I'm very happy with how I found the solutions,” he explained. And there was an even more revealing conclusion after his last match: “This was the best match of the week, or at least the one I played most consistently.”

An injury is also played in the head

The Tokyo title holds special value because Alcaraz not only had to recover his tennis after the injury, but he also had to regain his confidence. During the time away from the courts, doubts arose that, as the player himself acknowledged, became very difficult to shake off.

“Many negative thoughts crossed my mind during the injury. Whether I would be the same, whether I would feel pain when hitting the ball... many negative thoughts,” he confessed. A reflection that allows a better understanding of the significance of this comeback. Because physical recovery is just one part of the process, but hitting again without fear, competing without thinking about the injured area, and recovering sensations that once seemed natural also takes time.

In that process, Alcaraz wanted to highlight the role of his team. “Thanks to my team, I knew I would come back strong, they told me to return at my best and hitting the ball like always, and thanks to them, I had enough confidence to do it,” he explained. Today Tokyo returns to him something more than a trophy; it returns certainties. After going through the doubts typical of any injury, Alcaraz already has an answer on the court. His tennis is still there... and so is the confidence.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz recupera la sonrisa: “Me preguntaba si volvería a ser el mismo”