WORLD No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz captured his eighth singles title of the year by defeating fifth-ranked Taylor Fritz 6–4, 6–4 in the Japan Open final on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
The win may mark Alcaraz’s last match for a while, as he later announced he will skip the Shanghai Masters.
“I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover,” Alcaraz shared in an Instagram post.
Despite injuring his ankle in the first round, Alcaraz pushed through and dropped only one set throughout the tournament in Tokyo.
He sealed his 24th career singles title with a deft sliced drop shot, avenging a straight-sets loss to Fritz just last week at the Laver Cup team event.
The Spaniard also improved his season record to a tour-best 67–7, keeping him firmly in contention for the year-end No. 1 ranking.
“It’s been my best season so far without a doubt,” Alcaraz said. “That shows how hard I’ve worked just to be able to experience these moments and accomplish my goals.”
The Tokyo final marked Alcaraz’s ninth consecutive final appearance since March, when he exited early in the round of 64 at the Miami Masters. He holds a 7–2 record in those finals, including a runner-up finish at Wimbledon to Jannik Sinner.
“I didn’t start the year that good, struggling emotionally,” Alcaraz admitted. “So how I came back from that—I’m just really proud of myself and of all the people around me who have helped me to be in this position.”
Fritz took a medical timeout after the first set for treatment on his left thigh, which was later strapped during a changeover in the second set. / FROM THE WIRES