👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

New to Court Theory? Sign up for free!

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 Alcaraz’s scare: In his first-round match of the Japan Open against Sebastian Baez, Carlos Alcaraz faced a frightening moment when he fell to the court at 2-2 in the first set. For a few moments, he stayed on the ground, grimacing and holding his ankle. After receiving treatment, Alcaraz returned to the court and won the match, but he remains concerned about his recovery for the next round.

  • What he said: “When I planted the ankle, I was worried, because it didn’t feel good at the beginning,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I’m just happy that I was able to play good tennis after that and finish the match quite good. I will try to recover to do whatever it takes to be ready for the next round.” He added: “I was worried that I wouldn’t have the confidence to finish the match, but the physio came and did some tests. It was good I could walk to the bench, and that gave me confidence. I’m trying to have a warrior mentality in every match, in every aspect of everything.”
  • Next: Alcaraz faces Zizou Bergs in the second round.

🎾 Rafa’s warning: Rafael Nadal is warning his fans about fake videos circulating online that appear to be him giving financial advice. But the King of Clay is saying the videos are AI-generated and not him at all.

  • What he said: “In recent days, together with my team, we have detected fake videos circulating on some platforms. These were generated with artificial intelligence, showing a figure that imitates my image and my voice. In those videos, I am falsely attributed with investment advice or proposals that in no case come from me,” Nadal posted on LinkedIn. “Innovation is always positive when it serves people, but we must remain aware of its risks and act with critical thinking.”

🎾 Retired, again: In less than 18 months, Alize Cornet retired from the tour, came back, and has retired again. Cornet, who played her final match at the WTA 125 event in San Sebastian, made her Grand Slam singles debut at the 2005 French Open at the age of 15. It was the beginning of a career that lasted two decades, during which she reached No. 11 in the world and won six singles titles.

  • What she said: “Reflecting on my time in San Sebastian and the end (for real this time 😜) of a chapter as a player,” Cornet posted on Instagram. “Couldn’t dream of a better place than this beautiful city to definitely turn the page and start writing others, in every sense of the word.”