Carlos Alcaraz, tested by sports issues and Casper Ruud, will eventually set up an ATP journey with Taylor Fritz
Tokyo
Alcaraz, tested by sports issues and Ruud, sets Tokyo finals with Fritz
Fritz
September 29, 2025
Watanabe/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz, along with Casper Ruud, improved 5-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2head series.
Jerome Coombe
Carlos Alcaraz may face the toughest checks he made his debut on the Kinoshita Group Japan Japan Open Tennis Championships, but he showed up in bright colors and booked his spot in the final.
The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP rankings overcomes the resilient Casper Ruud and his own fitness responsibilities to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP 500 event. Alcaraz, who sometimes had limited performances at the opening ceremony, eventually rediscovering his clarity to a championship showdown with former Tokyo champion Taylor Fritz.
“I had a lot of opportunities in the first set,” Alkaraz said. “If I’m not wrong, I have four breakout points. It’s just about the details, so I just want to be more positive than the first set. I’m a little angry with myself, so I’m just trying to have fun again and there are a lot of positive thoughts coming up in my mind.”
Alcaraz won his personal best Game 66 in a season with a two-hour and eight-minute victory. The 22-year-old Spaniard will retaliate against Fritz, who beat him last week in the Laver Cup.
“I know he’s played great tennis recently,” Alcaraz said of Fritz. “Since the Laver Cup against me, against Zverev and in this game, he’s been on the court and very comfortable. Everything has been different since San Francisco… but it’s another challenge for me and I’m looking forward to it.”
Alcaraz has downplayed concerns and proved it with a decisive victory since adjusting Sebastian Baez’s left ankle in the Tokyo opener. However, against Ruud, who performed relentless tests on him with heavy top spin and crack angles, the Spaniard’s discomfort was even more obvious.
Facing the breakthrough point in Game 7, Ruud attacked Alcaraz’s backhand corner in depth. Although he put the ball back on his opponent’s feet, Alkaraz was hesitant as he stretched the ball and chased the subsequent descending volley – a moment of vulnerability that underlined his struggles in the first set.
Watch Alcaraz struggle to handle Ruud at the break point:
Alcaraz’s aggressive, risk-high tactics in the first set resulted in 15 uncompulsive errors, but he recalibrated in the second set and found consistency: According to Infosys ATP statistics, he trailed just 24 points, 24 points to overwhelm and Ruud and keep playing at the level.
From there, Alcaraz brought this momentum into the decisive scene, where he showed his freedom of movement and fearless shooting, silenced any wounded suspicion. But to overcome Fritz in the final, Espanyol will need another commanding performance to match one of the most powerful servers on this trip.
Despite the defeat, Ruud raised both positions to Torino in the PIF ATP live match as former finalists tried to return to the Nitto ATP final.
Earlier Monday, Fritz made his way to the finals by 6-4, 6-3 resident Jenson Brooksby. Despite sometimes being excellent from baseline, Fritz compensated 13 ACEs to secure his first hard training final of 2025 and climbed to fifth in the PIF ATP live game.
“Honestly, just through the explosion,” Fritz said when asked how he won. “I was crazy about it: the first ball and spots of the highest percentage. It felt like I didn’t hit any of the three A’s and he really beat me from the baseline. I was able to keep going and then capitalize on the scoreboard.
