Alcaraz Claims Japan Open Title with Victory Over Fritz

TOKYO: Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top-ranked player, showcased his dominance by defeating American Taylor Fritz in the Japan Open final on Tuesday. Alcaraz secured his eighth title of the year with a straight-sets victory, 6-4, 6-4.

The triumph also served as redemption for Alcaraz, who had previously suffered a defeat to Fritz at the Laver Cup team event in San Francisco earlier this month. This marked the Spaniard’s first loss against the American in their four encounters.

Alcaraz commenced the match with assertive play, gaining an early advantage when Fritz’s shot landed beyond the baseline. The world number one maintained his intensity, successfully clinching the first set.

In the second set, Alcaraz quickly established a commanding 4-1 lead. Despite a brief stumble on serve later in the set, the top seed regained composure and concluded the match decisively, securing his inaugural Tokyo title.

Alcaraz conveyed his enjoyment of playing in Tokyo and expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting the pleasure of performing before the Japanese fans. Despite an initial setback at the start of the week, he was pleased with how he concluded the tournament.

“It’s been a delight to compete here in Tokyo in front of the Japanese supporters. I cherished every moment on the court, except for the brief period after my ankle injury,” Alcaraz quipped.

“I am very pleased with my level of play and overall performance. Despite a challenging start to the week due to the ankle issue, I recovered well and had a fantastic tournament with excellent matches.”

The 22-year-old player had sustained an injury after twisting his ankle upon his Tokyo debut the previous week. However, he celebrated his 67th match victory this season and his 24th overall career singles title with evident joy.