Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Samuel Lopez, recently shared details about the injury that caused the Spaniard to miss the 2025 Shanghai Masters. Alcaraz sustained the injury during his last competition at the Japan Open.
Alcaraz was the top seed at the 2025 Japan Open, and he began his campaign by defeating Sebastián Báez and Zizou Bergs in the first and second rounds, respectively. In the quarterfinals, the World No. 1 overcame Brandon Nakashima and then eliminated Casper Ruud in the semifinals. In the final, he secured the title by defeating Taylor Fritz with a score of 6-4, 6-4, claiming his 24th career ATP Tour title.
What Did Samuel Lopez Say About Carlos Alcaraz’s Injury That Caused Him To Withdraw From Shanghai Masters?
During a recent appearance on the ‘Open Court Podcast,’ coach Lopez, who joined Alcaraz’s team ahead of the 2025 season, revealed that Alcaraz sprained his ankle while playing his first-round match against Báez at the Japan Open.
Lopez explained that after sustaining the injury, he, Alcaraz, physiotherapist Fran Rubio, and fitness coach Juanjo Moreno all decided that Alcaraz should continue competing in the tournament.
“In Tokyo playing with Baez, well, he sprained his ankle, twisted it, uh, we thought he was going to retire that same day, uh, but well, he managed to save that day. We had a rest day the next day, and in the end between the physio, Juanjo, him, and me, we said that we could still continue,” Lopez said (translated from Spanish).
The coach noted that the decision to keep playing also relied on Alcaraz’s ability to tolerate some pain. He revealed that the World No. 1 took anti-inflammatory medication and received daily treatments to continue playing in China, but ultimately, traveling to Shanghai for the ATP Masters 1000 tournament was too much for him.
“That it also depended on him, if he was able to endure the pain a little, but that we could make sure that ankle didn’t get any more uh, with it being blocked, with all the things, taking anti-inflammatory drugs. He was able to hold out throughout the tournament with a grade 2, with a lot of treatment every day, but of course, he couldn’t go to Shanghai,” he added.
Where Will Alcaraz Compete Next?
Following the conclusion of his campaign at the 2025 Japan Open, Alcaraz is next expected to compete in the 2025 Paris Masters, scheduled to take place from October 25 to November 2, 2025. The tournament matches will be held at the Paris La Défense Arena.
In addition to the World No. 1, other players expected to compete in the ATP Masters 1000 hard-court tournament include Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur, and Lorenzo Musetti, among others.
In 2024, Alcaraz was seeded second at the Paris Masters and began his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He won his opening match against Nicolás Jarry with a score of 7-5, 6-1, and then lost to the eventual runner-up, Ugo Humbert, in the third round with a score of 1-6, 6-3, 5-7.
