Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying his debut Japan Open and he’s revealed one thing that has shocked him about the Tokyo crowd.
Alcaraz dominated Brandon Nakashima at the Japan Open, putting in his best performance yet in a straight sets victory.
The Spaniard’s win against the American followed victories over Sebastian Baez and Zizou Bergs, as Alcaraz lives up to his favourite tag in Tokyo.
There has been a clamour from the Japanese crowd to watch Alcaraz, and the Spaniard has shared what has surprised him about the atmosphere at the Japan Open.
Carlos Alcaraz has been surprised by the Japanese crowd’s energy
Alcaraz has stunned the Tokyo crowd with his incredible levels on the court, particularly against Brandon Nakashima in the quarter-final.
“I’m truly grateful for the support I’m receiving in Tokyo,” said Alcaraz after confirming his place in the Japan Open semi-final.
The Spaniard had arrived at his first Japan Open believing the crowd would be quieter than other tournaments, but he’s been pleasantly surprised.
“I’ve heard that Japanese people are usually reserved, but the energy I feel on the court is completely different, and it’s giving me a lot of strength,” he revealed.
“I’m aiming to play in a way that entertains the spectators, and I’d be happy if they enjoyed my match. I’m sincerely thankful to everyone who supports me.”
Alcaraz will play Casper Ruud in the semi-finals of the Japan Open, which marks the Spaniard’s ninth consecutive final four appearance.
Barry Cowan praises ‘brilliant’ Carlos Alcaraz
Former British tennis star Barry Cowan was commentating on Alcaraz’s match with Nakashima and he was blown away by the Spaniard’s level.
“Alcaraz put on a real show tonight, brilliant,” said Cowan. That was worthy of the world No 1, that performance tonight. 39 winners and only one ace, I’m not sure, actually, whether I’ve seen those numbers before in a two-set match.
“The forehands were outrageous, the pace. Also the variety as well, you think of some of the beautiful, skilful shots at the net, a couple of the good returns. Only 18 unforced errors.
“Utterly dominant on serve, just dropped five points on first serve, three points on second serve. Overall, that felt like a real privilege to watch that from Alcaraz tonight. 80 minutes of spellbinding tennis.”
Alcaraz has not lost a match since his Wimbledon final defeat to Jannik Sinner in July.
