Match Report
Alcaraz quashes injury concerns with Tokyo win
Rune dispatches Quinn; Nakashima, Brooksby advance
September 27, 2025
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Carlos Alcaraz holds a 64-7 record on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
By Sam Jacot
Carlos Alcaraz put to bed any injury concerns on Saturday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, where he moved past Belgian Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals in Tokyo.
The Spaniard tweaked his ankle during his opening-round win against Sebastian Baez but moved freely during his first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash against Bergs to advance after 79 minutes at the ATP 500 hard-court event.
Alcaraz hit through Bergs with his forehand, was sharp around the net and recovered from squandering break advantages in both sets to improve to 64-7 on the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
“It was tough and it was a really important day and a half I had to recover as good as I could,” Alcaraz said when asked about his ankle. “I have said it before and I will say it again, I have the best physio in the world, who I trust 100 per cent. The work he has done for the ankle has been great. I could play normally, which is great. Sometimes I was worried about some movements, when I could feel the ankle, but in general I played some great tennis, a great match.”
Alcaraz earned a career-best 65 tour-level victories in 2023 and will match that tally with a win against American Brandon Nakashima in the quarter-finals. Nakashima defeated Marton Fucsovics 7-5, 6-3 to clinch his 30th win of 2025.
The top seed is chasing a Tour-leading eighth title of the season and arrived in Tokyo in confident mood after winning his sixth major at the US Open earlier this month. With his final victory against Jannik Sinner in New York, the Spaniard also reclaimed top spot in the PIF ATP Rankings from the Italian. Alcaraz leads Sinner by 2,590 points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which acts as a barometer for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours.
Earlier, Holger Rune wasted little time reaching his fifth quarter-final of the season, downing American Ethan Quinn 6-4, 6-2. The third-seeded Dane advanced to the last four in Tokyo in 2024 and will aim to match that feat when he meets Jenson Brooksby in the quarters. Brooksby beat Luciano Darderi 7-6(7), 6-1.
Rune is searching for his second title of the season, having triumphed at the ATP 500 event on clay in Barcelona. The 22-year-old is 14th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, more than 1000 points behind eighth-placed Alex de Minaur, who occupies the final qualification spot for the Nitto ATP Finals.
“I really sharpened my focus in the start of the sets,” Rune said. “I tried to hit quickly, it makes me more comfortable. He is a good player and has some weapons, but it was about trying to take them away from him and play on my terms and making fast starts made me feel better and made me relax more.”
