Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his win against fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in their men's singles semi-final at the ATP Tour Japan Open Tennis Championships. The match took place at the Ariake Tennis Forest Park in Tokyo on October 5, 2026.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz moved to the final of the Japan Open on Monday. He won a tough match 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 against Munar.
Alcaraz, ranked number three in the world, said getting back to “consistency” has been hard since his wrist injury. He reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last month.
“Right now, I’m trying to get my level back. I would say it’s still far from it, still far from it,” he commented when asked about his current form compared to last year.
He added that he is “feeling good” but is still “trying to get into the competition, trying to get into the rhythm of playing matches, playing tournaments.”
The Australian Open champion got the win in Tokyo despite making mistakes, especially from the end of the first set through the middle of the second set. Munar, ranked 49th, put up a tough fight.
Alcaraz fired off powerful serves and aggressive returns to keep Munar on his toes, mixing in clever drop shots that thrilled the fans at the Ariake Colosseum.
Munar kept his cool to stay in the match, especially towards the end of the first set. Alcaraz made errors, hitting shots wide and long, and he had four double faults in that set alone.
Still, Alcaraz kept pushing Munar, hitting precise forehands, quick volleys, and drop shots, breaking Munar’s serve in the first, third, and ninth games of the second set.
Alcaraz took charge in the final set and finished the match in two hours and 31 minutes.
“I don’t know what happened until the middle of the second set,” Alcaraz said.
“Last year I came here with a lot of trophies… with a lot of confidence. But I’m going to fight for the same result, which I’m really happy about,” he stated.
In the final, Alcaraz will play against 19th-ranked Jiri Lehecka from Czechia. Lehecka beat Valentin Vacherot from Monaco 6-4, 6-2.
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