The tournament week in East Asia delivered a whirlwind of results on both the ATP and WTA circuits, with Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz and two British women, Harriet Dart and Sonay Kartal, adding victories to their résumés. At the same time, home‑grown British men Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery suffered early defeats that halted their progress. Alcaraz’s match against American teenager Alex Michelsen was a roller‑coaster that tested the Spaniard’s resilience. After a tightly contested opening set that went to a tiebreak, Alcaraz saved three set points before finally clinching the set.
He then experimented with a newly accelerated service motion, a change that cost him his serve twice early in the second set, allowing Michelsen to break. The 23‑year‑old, who had shown flashes of his top form on the way to the US Open quarter‑finals after a lengthy injury lay‑off, steadied himself and reclaimed the lead.
A double fault in the seventh game gave Michelsen a lifeline, and the American seized the moment, keeping his composure in a tense finish to the second set. A fortuitous net‑cord winner left Alcaraz stranded at the baseline, forcing a deciding set. Speaking after the match, Alcaraz explained that the relentless rain in Tokyo had limited his practice time, making the transition from indoor courts to the slower, higher‑bouncing conditions in Japan a challenge.
"The ball comes bigger, the court feels a bit slower than the indoor venues, so it was weird to adjust," he said. He admitted the conditions frustrated his usual aggressive style, but praised his ability to adapt and secure the win, noting that the experience would be valuable for the upcoming round. In the final set Alcaraz surged ahead with two spectacular points, establishing a 2‑0 lead and eventually sealing a comfortable victory. His triumph came amid a day of notable upsets in the ATP 500 event.
Third seed Taylor Fritz fell to qualifier Jaume Munar in three sets (6‑7(7‑9) 6‑4 6‑3). Sixth seed Casper Ruud was dispatched by Luciano Darderi (7‑6(7‑3) 6‑3), and seventh seed Tommy Paul suffered a heavy 6‑1 6‑2 loss to Alejandro Tabilo.
Former world No. 4 Holger Rune, who is still rebuilding after an Achilles injury, was beaten 6‑3 6‑1 by Kyrian Jacquet. On the men’s side of the China Open in Beijing, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie faced the newly crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev in the first round.
Norrie started strongly, earning a set point, but he could not convert and soon found himself trailing in a tiebreak that he ultimately lost. Zverev, intent on narrowing the gap with world No.
1 Jannik Sinner—who is not competing in China—snapped a crucial break in the ninth game of the second set and closed out the match 7‑6(7‑1) 6‑4. This marked Zverev’s ninth consecutive tour‑level victory over Norrie, who was playing his first match since a disappointing early exit at the US Open. In Tokyo, British teenager Arthur Fery was slated to open the Japan Open against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, but Musetti withdrew with a finger injury. World No.
68 Jaime Faria of Portugal stepped in as a late replacement. Fery fought back after falling behind 4‑6 in the first set, taking the second 6‑3, but could not break Faria’s serve in the deciding set. The Portuguese player held his nerve to win 4‑6 6‑3 4‑6 in just over two hours, ending Fery’s tournament run.
The women’s draws offered brighter news for the United Kingdom. Sonay Kartal recorded her first tour victory since March, defeating Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia in straight sets (6‑2 6‑3) to advance to the second round of the China Open. Her win was a confidence boost for the young British player, who has been working to translate her junior success onto the senior circuit.
Harriet Dart also progressed, but her path was far more grueling. In Beijing, she endured a three‑hour battle against China’s Qu Yihan. After taking the first set 6‑2, Dart dropped a tightly contested second set tiebreak 6‑7(5‑7) before regrouping to claim the final set 7‑5.
The marathon match tested her fitness and mental stamina, but the 30‑year‑old Londoner emerged victorious and secured a spot in the next round. Tokyo also witnessed an emotional farewell for Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori. The 36‑year‑old, a former US Open finalist and career‑high world No.
4, received a wild‑card entry to his home tournament for what he announced would be his final appearance on the ATP Tour. Nishikori faced second‑seed Frances Tiafoe and fell 6‑4 6‑4. In a press conference earlier in the week, Nishikori expressed mixed emotions about his impending retirement, saying, "I am excited to play in Japan but I also know this is my last moment, so it’s kind of sad." His retirement plans, announced in May, target the end of the calendar year, and his career has been hampered by shoulder and other injuries that caused him to miss the Australian Open and the previous US Open.
Nishikori’s legacy includes becoming the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam singles final when he contested the 2014 US Open, where he was defeated by Marin Čilić. He also captured the Japan Open title twice, in 2012 and 2014, making his final appearance on home soil particularly poignant for Japanese fans. Overall, the Asian swing of the tour delivered a mix of breakthrough performances, surprising upsets, and poignant farewells.
Alcaraz’s adaptability on slower courts, the British women’s resilience, and the emotional narratives surrounding veterans like Nishikori provided a rich tapestry of stories for tennis enthusiasts. Fans can continue to follow the action live on platforms such as NOW and the Sky Sports app, which carry the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters without contractual restrictions.