The Japan Open and China Open delivered a packed day of tennis drama on both the ATP and WTA circuits, with Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz and British women Harriet Dart and Sonay Kartal emerging victorious, while fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery suffered early defeats. Alcaraz’s match against American teenager Alex Michelsen was a roller‑coaster affair that tested the young Spaniard’s resilience.
After saving three set points, Alcaraz edged a tightly contested opening set, winning the tiebreak with a display of power and precision. The 23‑year‑old, still fine‑tuning a newly accelerated service motion, was broken twice early in the second set as he continued to experiment with his revamped serve. Despite the hiccups, Alcaraz rallied, pulling himself back into the contest after a double fault in the seventh game gave Michelsen a brief lifeline. Michelsen, refusing to surrender, kept his composure and seized a crucial net‑cord winner that left Alcaraz stranded at the baseline.
The point swung momentum in favour of the American, forcing a deciding third set. Alcaraz, fresh from guiding Team Europe to a Laver Cup victory on indoor courts in London, explained that the relentless rain in Tokyo had limited his practice sessions, making the transition to the slower, heavier‑ball conditions especially challenging.
"It felt different – the ball was bigger, the court a bit slower than indoor surfaces. It was frustrating not to be able to play my usual aggressive game, but I adjusted and managed to win," he said. In the final set, Alcaraz produced a series of breathtaking shots, building a 2‑0 lead that allowed him to close out the match comfortably.
The win came amid a day of upsets in the ATP 500 event: third seed Taylor Fritz fell to qualifier Jaume Munar, sixth seed Casper Ruud was beaten by Luciano Darderi, and seventh seed Tommy Paul suffered a straight‑sets loss to Alejandro Tabilo. Former world No. 4 Holger Rune, still recovering from an Achilles injury, also exited after a 6‑3 6‑1 defeat to Kyrian Jacquet.
On the other side of the net, British No. 1 Cameron Norrie faced freshly crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev in the first round of the China Open in Beijing. Norrie held a set‑point early in the match but squandered it and subsequently faltered in the tiebreak that followed. Zverev, eager to close the gap with world No.
1 Jannik Sinner—who was absent from the tournament—snapped a crucial break in the ninth game of the second set and sealed a 7‑6 (7‑1) 6‑4 victory. This 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.
British youngster Arthur Fery, ranked No. 25, was also eliminated early at the Japan Open. He was slated to open against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, but Musetti withdrew with a finger injury, prompting a last‑minute replacement by Portugal’s Jaime Faria, world No.
68. Faria shocked the crowd by taking a swift early lead, and although Fery fought back to force a deciding third set, he could not break his opponent’s serve and fell 4‑6 6‑3 4‑6 after a two‑hour battle.
On the women’s side of the China Open, Sonay Kartal secured her first tour‑level win since March, dispatching Spain’s Andrea Lazaro Garcia in straight sets, 6‑2 6‑3, and advancing to the second round. Kartal’s confidence was evident as she dictated play from the baseline and capitalised on her opponent’s unforced errors. Fellow Brit Harriet Dart also progressed, but not without a marathon three‑hour duel against China’s Qu Yihan in Beijing. The 30‑year‑old Londoner emerged victorious with a 6‑2 6‑7 (5‑7) 7‑5 scoreline, showcasing both mental fortitude and tactical adaptability.
The tournament also featured an emotional moment for Japanese tennis legend Kei Nishikori, who announced his retirement plans earlier in the year. In his final professional appearance on home soil, Nishikori faced second‑seeded Frances Tiafoe and fell 6‑4 6‑4. The 36‑year‑old, a former US Open finalist and career‑high world No. 4, reflected on the bittersweet nature of his farewell: "I am excited to play in Japan, but I also know this is my last moment.
So, it’s kind of sad." Nishikori, who missed the Australian Open earlier this season due to a right‑shoulder injury and has been plagued by various physical setbacks, received a wild‑card entry to the Japan Open—an event he won in 2012 and 2014. His career, which began in 2007, includes a historic run to the 2014 US Open final, where he became the first Japanese man to reach a Grand Slam singles final.
Overall, the day highlighted the unpredictable nature of professional tennis: rising stars like Alcaraz continue to evolve their games, seasoned veterans such as Zverev reaffirm their dominance, and emerging British talent makes strides despite setbacks. The combination of weather‑induced adjustments, injury‑driven withdrawals, and the sheer depth of the fields ensured that fans were treated to high‑quality tennis, dramatic comebacks, and poignant farewells. For those wanting to follow the action, live streams are available on NOW and the Sky Sports app, offering coverage of the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters.