Carlos Alcaraz fought through a tense opening set, ultimately securing his place in the quarter‑finals of the Japan Open with a 7‑6 (8‑6), 6‑1 triumph over Italy's Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday. The Spaniard, currently ranked third in the world, demonstrated resilience after trailing 2‑5 in the tiebreak, fending off four set points before turning the tide and clinching the decider.
His comeback not only gave him the first set but also shifted momentum dramatically in the second, where he broke Arnaldi twice to close out the match comfortably. Alcaraz’s next opponent will be Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, the world No. 46, who earned his quarter‑final berth by defeating Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7‑5, 3‑6, 6‑4 in another Tokyo showdown. "I just tried to stay there, point after point," Alcaraz reflected after the win.
"I changed how I played until that moment and it worked out. I'm just happy I got that first set. Matteo was playing great." The Japan Open featured a flurry of other notable results.
In a separate draw, Czech hopeful Jiri Lehecka rallied from a set down to beat France’s Ugo Humbert 5‑7, 6‑4, 6‑4, setting up a quarter‑final clash with Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, who had eliminated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini earlier in the tournament. Over in Beijing at the China Open, former US Open champion Alexander Zverev powered through wildcard Juncheng Shang with a decisive 6‑0, 6‑3 victory, positioning himself for a high‑profile quarter‑final encounter against Novak Djokovic. Australian rising star Alex de Minaur, who had suffered a second‑round exit at the US Open, bounced back in Tokyo by overcoming France’s Quentin Halys in three sets.
His win earned him a place in the last eight against Russia’s Andrey Rublev. Both players are not only eyeing a spot in the semi‑finals but also fighting for valuable Race to Turin points that determine qualification for this year’s ATP Finals.
Rublev, meanwhile, secured his quarter‑final spot after a gritty three‑set win over Roman Safiullin, prevailing 6‑2, 3‑6, 6‑4 despite dropping the second set. Daniil Medvedev continued his strong form, dispatching Germany’s Jan‑Lennard Struff in straight sets. The Russian now awaits the winner of the match between Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo and the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik.
On the women’s side, after a three‑week hiatus following her semi‑final loss to Elena Rybakina at the US Open, American star Coco Gauff returned to competition at the China Open. She edged world No.
66 Camila Osorio 7‑6 (7‑4), 4‑6, 6‑2, surviving a challenging second set after being broken at 4‑5. Osorio fought valiantly, saving two match points in the final exchange, but Gauff ultimately prevailed and will meet China’s Xinran Sun in the next round.
British player Harriet Dart started brightly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the opening set, but was unable to maintain the pressure and fell 2‑6, 6‑3, 6‑3. In contrast, fellow Briton Sonay Kartal advanced comfortably, defeating China’s top‑ranked Xinyu Wang 6‑3, 6‑2. Kartal’s victory positions her for a potential showdown with Elena Rybakina, should she overcome Alina Charaeva in the subsequent round.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek, fresh from a round‑of‑16 exit at the US Open, returned to the court in Tokyo and displayed dominant form, converting five break points to defeat China’s Xinyu Gao 6‑2, 6‑3. Across the net, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina fought back from a set down against Czech Katerina Siniakova, ultimately prevailing 1‑6, 6‑4, 6‑2 to secure her place in the following round. These matches illustrate the depth and excitement of the ATP and WTA tours as players vie for ranking points, prize money, and coveted spots in the season‑ending championships.
Fans can follow the action live on NOW and the Sky Sports App, which provide streaming without contractual commitments, covering the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. The tournaments continue to deliver high‑stakes tennis, showcasing both established stars and emerging talents as they battle for glory on the Asian swing.