[Singles First Round]
○ Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) [1] 6–4, 6–2 ● Sebastian Baez (ARG)

■The drama unfolded in the fifth game of the first set when Alcaraz dove for a drop shot from Baez and collapsed on the court. He returned to his bench and asked for a medical timeout. As the packed crowd watched anxiously, Alcaraz came back onto the court with his left ankle tightly taped, receiving a loud ovation from the stands.At 4–4, he broke Baez’s serve to take the lead with light rain to begin falling, causing a short delay as the retractable roof was closed.

■Despite these unexpected setbacks, the outcome was as expected. Alcaraz held serve after the resumption to take the first set, then broke Baez twice in the second (in the first and fifth games) to cruise to victory. With powerful serves, explosive forehands, angled backhands, and deft drop shots, Alcaraz thrilled the crowd with his versatile arsenal.

■Reflecting on the injury, Alcaraz called it "unlucky", but offered reassurance about the condition of his ankle:
"As I kept playing, it felt stable, so I was relieved. Even after cooling down, it still felt the same as during the match, so overall, I think it’s not too bad."
With just the first round behind him and four matches to go for the title, Alcaraz said:
"From here on, I’ll do everything I can to stay in top condition. I want to keep playing well and aim for a great result."

(Japan Tennis Association)