Carlos Alcaraz has safely made his way through to the Japan Open final, but he’s given his thoughts on a ‘strange’ decision from the tournament organisers.
Alcaraz has been in imperious form at the Japan Open, and the Spaniard confirmed his ninth consecutive ATP Tour final with a three-set victory over Casper Ruud.
The Spaniard will play Taylor Fritz in the final, the man who defeated him just 10 days ago at the Laver Cup.
Ahead of their much-anticipated final clash, Alcaraz has called out a decision from the Japan Open organisers.
Carlos Alcaraz says playing the Japan Open final on a Tuesday is ‘strange’
Alcaraz vs Fritz will take place on Tuesday, September 30, a pivot from traditional ATP Tour finals that take place on Sundays.
The World No. 1 is unsure about the change for a multitude of reasons and has branded the decision ‘a bit strange’.
“We’re used to playing finals on Sundays,” explained the Spaniard at his Japan Open press conference. “But the tournament organisers made this decision for a reason, so we just have to go along with it.”
Alcaraz added: “It’s true that weekends are easier for spectators, and playing in a packed stadium is no problem at all.”
The Spaniard should be used to playing finals that are not on Sunday, as he defeated Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final on a Monday.
Alcaraz lifted the trophy after Sinner was forced to retire from the American tournament after just five games due to illness.
Carlos Alcaraz breaks ATP record at the China Open
Alcaraz’s incredible 2025 season has continued at the China Open and the star picked up his 66th win of the year against Ruud.
That win means he’s picked up more wins in a season than any other in 2025, but that’s not the only record he’s broken.
The World No. 1 has now won 275 ATP Tour matches, and he’s become the fastest player in history to pick up that number.
The Spaniard took just 338 matches to reach the landmark since making his ATP Tour debut in February 2020.
