Carlos Alcaráz clinched his first tournament victory since returning from a prolonged right‑wrist injury by triumphing at the Japan Open. The Spaniard, who had not featured in a marquee event since his loss to Jannik Sinner at the Monte‑Carlo Masters in April, successfully defended the Tokyo crown he earned the previous year, overcoming Czech contender Jiří Lehečka in straight sets, 7‑6 (7‑4), 6‑4. Alcaráz’s comeback journey began in late August after months of rehabilitation. He quickly proved his resilience by advancing to the quarter‑finals of the US Open, where he fell to American Ben Shelton in a marathon match that concluded in the early hours of the morning at 3:33 a.m.
The Tokyo victory marked his first ATP‑level title since his February win in Doha, and it underscored his ability to rebound from adversity. Lehečka, ranked No.
19 in the world, started the final with a burst of aggression, racing to a 3‑1 lead. Alcaráz, who has been wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm since his return, steadied the contest by equalising at 3‑3 and then displayed his full arsenal of crowd‑pleasing shots during the tiebreak. From a 2‑4 deficit he seized five consecutive points to capture the first set.
In the second set he broke Lehečka’s serve in the seventh game to go up 4‑3, eventually sealing the match and the championship. "It’s extra special to win a title again. It’s been a while," the 23‑year‑old said, becoming the first man to defend the Japan Open crown since Pete Sampras did so in 1994.
"To win a trophy in my second tournament back is amazing. I didn’t play my best tennis all week, but I found the right solutions to win.
Today I played the best match of the entire tournament. I’m really happy." Alcaráz opened the 2024 season by capturing his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, completing a career Grand Slam, and followed that triumph with a victory in Doha before his wrist injury forced a hiatus. The road back was fraught with doubt. "Obviously a lot of negative thoughts come to your mind," he admitted when asked whether he feared never winning another title again.
"If you are going to come back healthy, if you are going to come back the same as I was before. If I will be able to hit the ball normally without pain at all. A lot of thoughts came to my mind, but I tried to put those thoughts away all the time.
"My team and I knew that if I come back I was going to feel 100 percent. If I feel something, the comeback is not going to be anything, so I just have to go full for every shot, every ball, and I trust my team, I trust myself, and it worked out." British tennis professional Liam Broady, speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, highlighted the significance of Alcaráz’s win for Asian tennis fans. "You can see the gratitude and jubilation in the team and for somebody like Carlos Alcaráz and his team. You might forgive them for not being too bothered about winning an ATP 500 but everything he's been through the last few months, I'm sure this is a very special one for him.
He was stuttering and struggling to find his game at the start of the week with a few three‑set matches which he might normally have won easier. This is exactly what future opponents of Alcaráz do not want to see – him gathering momentum while not necessarily playing his best tennis." The tournament also featured notable performances on the women's side. Wimbledon runner‑up Karolina Muchová fought through a dramatic fourth‑round match at the WTA China Open, overcoming Naomi Osaka despite being broken in both the first and third sets.
Muchová eventually prevailed 7‑5, 1‑6, 7‑6 (9‑7) after nearly three hours of play, sealing her ninth match point in a tense finish. "I honestly didn’t even believe I would finish the match," she confessed post‑match. "So many match points, I didn’t know how many. After a match point I was like, OK, I’m going for it, but then I think she always played great and steady, and didn’t make mistakes – unlike me, unfortunately!
I was shaking. I’m happy that I made the last volley and it was really so close. Naomi could be standing here. It’s me, and I’m really grateful for it." Meanwhile, fourth‑seed Mirra Andreeva continued her strong showing at the China Open, cruising past Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6‑2, 6‑2 to reach the quarter‑finals.
The 19‑year‑old Russian will now face compatriot and 19‑seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who is twelve years her senior, in the next round. Alcaráz’s victory in Tokyo not only adds another trophy to his burgeoning résumé but also serves as a testament to the effectiveness of modern sports medicine, disciplined rehabilitation, and a supportive team environment. His ability to adapt his game—mixing heavy topspin forehands with precise backhand slices and daring net approaches—demonstrated that the wrist injury has not diminished his tactical versatility. Looking ahead, Alcaráz will aim to maintain his momentum as the ATP calendar moves toward the Asian swing and the indoor hard‑court season in Europe.
Fans and analysts alike will watch closely to see whether he can translate his renewed confidence into further titles, especially as he prepares for the upcoming Masters 1000 events and the eventual race to qualify for next year’s ATP Finals. For viewers wanting to follow the action, live streams are available on NOW and the Sky Sports app, with the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters also set to be broadcast on Sky Sports starting Wednesday.