Carlos Alcaraz continued his remarkable 2025 with an impressive comeback victory over Casper Ruud in the last four at the Japan Open on Monday (September 29).
The world's top ranked male player defeated his opponent 3-6 6-3 6-4 in Tokyo after recently pairing up with him for Team Europe in the doubles event at the Laver Cup.
The match was a close affair as there were just three breaks of serve throughout the whole contest.
Ruud found the crucial break in the eighth game of the opening set after defending four break points, to ensure the top seed would have to go the distance for the first time this tournament.
Alcaraz committed 15 unforced errors in the first set and looked as if he was still in trouble early on in the second set as he faced a break point in the opening game, but he managed to hold his serve.
The Spaniard soon composed himself and would land the decisive breaks in the second and third sets to overcome Ruud and secure his place in Tuesday's final (September 30).
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Another final awaits for Alcaraz
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Alcaraz's latest victory means he is into his ninth successive ATP Tour final, with his impressive record going back to the Monte-Carlo Masters in April this year.
In total, he has now reached the final stage of 10 events in 2025 and picked up seven tournament wins along the way, including at Roland Garros and the US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz has reached NINE consecutive Tour-level finals! 🤯
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) September 29, 2025
He has challenged for the title in every tournament he's played since Monte-Carlo this year 🏆 pic.twitter.com/30ueN9IlDf
After beating Ruud, Alcaraz reflected honestly on his display and revealed the adjustments he made to secure the victory over the fourth seed.
"I had a lot of chances in the first set. I had four break points if I'm not wrong. It's just about details, so I just tried to be more positive than the first set," said the six-time major winner.
"I was a little bit mad with myself, so I just tried to play with joy again, putting a lot of positive thoughts in my mind."
Standing in Alcaraz's way of winning another event is Taylor Fritz, after the American beat compatriot Jenson Brooksby on Monday.
Fritz will be confident of causing an upset in Tokyo on Tuesday as he recently beat the world no. 1 at the Laver Cup in straight sets.
After suffering an ankle issue in the opening round of the tournament, Alcaraz has appeared fine on the court in his matches.
The 22-year-old will be looking to avenge his recent loss to Fritz and add another trophy to his already impressive season.
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