Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Taylor Fritz in the Japan Open final on Tuesday (September 30) to take home yet another tournament victory this year.
The world no. 1's 6-4 6-4 win over his American opponent in Tokyo means he has won eight events out of the 10 finals he has featured in on the ATP Tour in 2025.
Fritz recently got the better of Alcaraz at the Laver Cup, so the latter will have been glad to put that defeat behind him.
Another city, another crown 👑🏆@carlosalcaraz defeats Fritz 6-4 6-4 to conquer Tokyo for the first time and claim his 8th title of the season.@japanopentennis | #kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/qhUBaSQpTp
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 30, 2025
Alcaraz landed the first real blow of Tuesday's final, as he eventually found a break in the opening set's penultimate game to go 5-4 up after failing to convert four previous break points.
After serving out the first set, Alcaraz piled on the pressure in the second set as he landed a double-break, soon establishing a 5-1 lead.
Fritz was able to get a break when the Spaniard was serving for the title to climb back to 5-3, but the top seed managed to hold on his next serve as his famous drop shot secured his 24th career singles title.
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It is impressive the 22-year-old managed to continue competing in Tokyo, let alone win the tournament, considering he sustained an ankle issue in the opening round of the 500-level event.
Alcaraz on his latest triumph and what is next for him
Getty
After taking care of business against Fritz, Alcaraz reflected on his time in Japan amid the difficulties of his ankle problem.
"I’m really happy with the level that I played, with everything. Starting the week not good with the ankle, and the way that I came back from that, I’m really happy about it," the world's top men's player said in his on-court interview.
"It's my first year coming to Tokyo and it feels like home! I can see how special this tournament is," the six-time major winner added.
Alcaraz then mentioned how satisfied he is with the levels he has got to on the court this year.
"It’s been my best season so far without a doubt. Eight titles, 10 finals. That shows how hard I’ve worked just to be able to experience these moments and accomplish my goals. I’m really proud."
Soon after his victory in Japan, the reigning French Open and US Open champion announced on social media that he would unfortunately be skipping the upcoming Masters 1000 event in Shanghai.
"I'm very disappointed to announce that I won't be able to play the Shanghai Masters this year," Alcaraz said on Instagram.
"Unfortunately, I've been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover."
The world no. 1 is likely to be back in action at the 6 Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh a fortnight from now, before returning to competitive action at the Paris Masters near the end of October.
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