The day was packed with drama on both the ATP and WTA circuits as the China Open in Beijing and the Japan Open in Tokyo delivered a mix of surprise victories and disappointing exits. Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, as well as British women Harriet Dart and Sonay Kartal, all secured wins, while fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery suffered first‑round defeats. Alcaraz’s match against American teenager Alex Michelsen was a roller‑coaster that tested the Spaniard’s resilience.
After saving three set points, Alcaraz edged a tightly contested opening set in a tiebreak, showcasing his trademark aggression. However, his recent experimentation with a quicker service motion proved costly, as he was broken twice early in the second set. The 23‑year‑old, who had shown flashes of top form on his way to the US Open quarter‑finals after a lengthy injury lay‑off, managed to regroup and pull ahead, only to hand Michelsen a lifeline with a double fault in the seventh game. Michelsen kept his composure, capitalising on a fortunate net‑cord winner that left Alcaraz stranded at the baseline, and forced a decisive third set.
The American, now 22, displayed remarkable poise under pressure, ultimately forcing a tiebreak that he won, sending the match to a final set. Alcaraz, fresh from leading Team Europe to a Laver Cup triumph on indoor courts in London, commented on the challenging conditions in Tokyo, noting that the rain‑soaked courts made the ball bounce higher and the surface slower than the indoor venues he was accustomed to.
"It was a different feeling. The ball comes bigger. The court performs a little bit slower than the indoor courts for sure, so it was freaky to adjust to that," he said. He admitted frustration at not being able to play his usual aggressive style, but praised his own adaptability: "It was a little bit frustrating, not being able to play my game, my style, and play aggressive ...
it was difficult but I'm really happy to accept and understand how I had to play and to get the win at the end. It was really important to have this feeling for the next round, to know what I have to do for the next matches." In the decisive third set, Alcaraz surged ahead with two spectacular points that gave him a 2‑0 lead. The seven‑time Grand Slam champion then used his momentum to close out the match comfortably, adding his name to a day of notable upsets in the ATP 500 event.
His triumph came amid a series of surprising results: third seed Taylor Fritz fell to qualifier Jaume Munar 6‑7 (7‑9), 6‑4, 6‑3; sixth seed Casper Ruud was outplayed by Luciano Darderi 7‑6 (7‑3), 6‑3; and seventh seed Tommy Paul suffered a 6‑1, 6‑2 defeat at the hands of Alejandro Tabilo. Former world No. 4 Holger Rune, still on the comeback trail after an Achilles injury, was also dispatched 6‑3, 6‑1 by Kyrian Jacquet.
On the men’s side of the China Open, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie faced newly crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev in the first round. Norrie started strongly, earning a set point, but ultimately blew the opportunity and collapsed in the ensuing tiebreak after taking the opening point. Zverev, who is eager to close the gap with world No.
1 Jannik Sinner (who is not competing in China), secured a crucial break in the ninth game of the second set and sealed the match 7‑6 (7‑1), 6‑4. This victory marked Zverev’s ninth consecutive main‑tour win over Norrie, who was playing his first match since a disappointing early exit at the US Open. In Tokyo, British No. 25 Arthur Fery was handed a shocking first‑round loss at the Japan Open, falling 4‑6, 6‑3, 4‑6 to Portugal’s Jaime Faria.
Fery had originally been slated to open against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, but Musetti withdrew late due to a finger injury, prompting the tournament to replace him with world No. 68 Faria.
The Portuguese youngster surged ahead early, forcing Fery into a deciding third set. Although Fery managed to level the match, he could not break Faria’s serve in the final set, and the Portuguese secured the win in just over two hours. The women’s events also delivered compelling storylines. At the China Open, Turkish‑born British player Sonay Kartal recorded her first tour‑level victory since March, dispatching Spain’s Andrea Lázaro García 6‑2, 6‑3 to advance to the second round.
In Beijing, fellow Brit Harriet Dart endured a marathon three‑hour battle against China’s Qu Yihan, eventually prevailing 6‑2, 6‑7 (5‑7), 7‑5 to move forward. The Japan Open also featured an emotional farewell for Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori.
In his final professional appearance on home soil, the 36‑year‑old lost 6‑4, 6‑4 to second‑seeded American Frances Tiafoe. Nishikori, a former US Open finalist and career‑high world No. 4, had announced earlier in May that he would retire at the end of the year.
He received a wild‑card entry into the Tokyo tournament, a venue he won twice in 2012 and 2014. Speaking before the match, Nishikori expressed mixed emotions: "I am excited to play in Japan but I also know this is my last moment. So, it's kind of sad." His career has been hampered by recurring injuries, including a right‑shoulder issue that forced him out of the Australian Open and a series of ailments that kept him away from the US Open last year.
Since turning professional in 2007, Nishikori became the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam final when he contested the 2014 US Open, ultimately falling to Marin Čilić. Overall, the twin tournaments highlighted the unpredictable nature of professional tennis: rising stars like Alcaraz continue to refine their games under pressure, seasoned veterans such as Zverev and Tiafoe demonstrate their enduring quality, and emerging British talent shows promise despite occasional setbacks.
Fans can continue to follow the action live via streaming platforms, with coverage available on NOW, the Sky Sports app, and other services that broadcast the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the upcoming ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters.