Ben Shelton’s pending absence from the Tokyo Open is an unfortunate development, but one that could benefit Taylor Fritz.
On Thursday, Shelton withdrew from the ATP 500 event, likely due to the shoulder injury he suffered during his US Open third-round match.
Shelton’s withdrawal is a shame: the American had been playing excellent tennis in the lead-up to the US Open, capturing his first Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open.
However, Shelton’s absence has offered an opportunity to the field, and Taylor Fritz could be the primary beneficiary.
The American, who last won an ATP Tour title at the Eastbourne Open in June, could be set to further enhance his legacy.
Taylor Fritz and Carlos Alcaraz are the only ATP top 10 players who remain on the Tokyo Open entry list
World number five Taylor Fritz will be hoping to bounce back from his US Open quarter-final loss to Novak Djokovic: a match in which Djokovic described himself as being ‘lucky.’
That being said, with the Tokyo Open being an ATP 500 event, one might expect there to be a relatively strong field of players entered.
However, as per Portuguese tennis journalist Jose Morgado, only two of the ATP top 10 are set to play in the Tokyo Open following Ben Shelton’s withdrawal: Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz.
In fact, there are only three other top 20 players on the current entry list: Casper Ruud, Jiri Lehecka and Holger Rune.
| Player | ATP Ranking |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 1 |
| Taylor Fritz | 5 |
| Holger Rune | 11 |
| Casper Ruud | 12 |
| Jiri Lehecka | 16 |
The absence of star players represents a unique opportunity for Taylor Fritz.
Alcaraz is the only player in the Tokyo Open draw with more quality than Fritz, meaning his path to the latter stages should be considerably more comfortable than it may have been initially anticipated.
However, there can be no doubt that Taylor Fritz’s record against Alcaraz would represent a concern for the American if he and Alcaraz were to meet in the Tokyo Open final.
Taylor Fritz has never defeated Carlos Alcaraz
Taylor Fritz’s record against Carlos Alcaraz paints a sorry picture.
Of the three matches he and Alcaraz have contested, the American has won precisely zero. In fact, the American has won just one set across the three meetings.
Their first contest came at the 2023 Miami Open, where Alcaraz won 6-2, 6-4. A year later, Alcaraz defeated Fritz again at the Laver Cup, 6-2, 7-5.
However, the American has some hope. His last outing against the Spaniard was much closer.
In fact, Fritz had set points to level their 2025 Wimbledon semi-final at two sets apiece. However, he was unable to capitalise, eventually losing 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6.
