Carlos Alcaraz is set for his first time at the Japan Open and it will see him emulate Rafael Nadal’s appearance at the tournament in 2010.
Fresh from Alcaraz earning seven points at the Laver Cup, the Spaniard will begin his Asian swing with an appearance at the Japan Open.
The star has an opening match against Sebastian Baez in the first round and he’s been placed in a half with Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe, and Denis Shapovalov.
The Spaniard will yet again follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal with his first appearance at the Japan Open.
Carlos Alcaraz will be the first World No. 1 to play the Japan Open since Rafael Nadal in 2010
The Japan Open is not always the most star-studded of affairs, but Alcaraz will be keen to put his Laver Cup disappointment behind him.
The star will be the first World No. 1 to appear at the tournament for 15 years, when Nadal played and won the event.
The likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have won the event in the meantime, but the Brit was ranked World No. 3 and the Serbian was World No. 2.
Alcaraz could emulate Nadal by winning the event as World No. 1 as the King of Clay defeated Gael Monfils in straight sets to pick up his one and only Japan Open trophy.
With a lack of a World No. 1 at the Japan Open, the last three years have been won by rising stars Arthur Fils, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz.
Carlos Alcaraz’s projected route to the Japan Open final
As World No. 1, Alcaraz is far and away the favourite to win the Japan Open, but he will face some stiff challenges.
Alcaraz will likely play Tiafoe in the quarter-finals, a player who has beaten the Spaniard in one of their previous three meetings.
Casper Ruud should be Alcaraz’s semi-final opponent, the star with whom the Spaniard teamed with at the Laver Cup. Ruud defeated Alcaraz in straight sets during their last meeting at the ATP Tour Finals in 2024.
Should Alcaraz manage to navigate his way past those top players, a likely meeting with Fritz looks on the cards.
Fritz picked up his first-ever win against Alcaraz at the Laver Cup, which helped Team World defeat Team Europe.
