Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo by overcoming Matteo Arnaldi 7-6(2), 6-1, overcoming a 2-6 deficit in the opening set tiebreak sequence. Alcaraz is not currently playing like the dominant force he was last year in Tokyo, but he continues to advance through the rounds.
Alcaraz Survives Arnaldi Challenge in Tokyo Open
Playing at the Japanese tournament, the Spanish star faced a difficult opening set where he squandered an early service break advantage. Matteo Arnaldi capitalized on the conditions, surging to a 6-2 lead in the tiebreak and holding four set points before Alcaraz mounted a gritty defensive stand. A brilliant backhand overhead winner at 6-6 shifted the momentum, and a subsequent strong serve secured the first set 7-6(2). Alcaraz has grown accustomed to suffering in Tokyo and to sets decided like a coin toss, which has landed on heads twice for him so far, having previously saved three set points against Alex Michelsen in the first round. Since returning to the tour following the US Open, Alcaraz has won three of the four tiebreaks he has played, though almost always struggling through them.
Once the tight opening set concluded, the match shifted dramatically. Arnaldi struggled to recover from the missed opportunities, failing to win a game in the second set as Alcaraz closed out the match 6-1. Alcaraz won the next five games while dropping only a single point on his serve out of twelve possible ones. The victory marks Alcaraz’s seventh win since returning to the ATP Tour following a wrist injury sustained in Barcelona in April. Arnaldi was left dwelling on his squandered chances and disappeared from the match entirely.
Alcaraz Struggles to Adapt to Changing Conditions
Following his three-set victory over Alex Michelsen earlier in the week, Alcaraz explained that changing conditions posed a significant hurdle.
Había entrenado en indoor, pero las sensaciones son totalmente diferentes. Furthermore, he noted: Todo eso hizo complicado adaptarme y encontrar los ajustes que necesitaba en mi juego.
Following his win over Michelsen, Alcaraz also expressed dissatisfaction, stating: Creo que mi nivel podría ser mejor,
and explaining: Simplemente, traté de dar lo máximo.
Upcoming Quarterfinal Match Against Shapovalov
Alcaraz advances to face Canadian player Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals. Shapovalov earned his spot in the final eight by defeating Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Head-to-head records favor the Spanish competitor, who holds two prior victories over Shapovalov without dropping a single set, having beaten him at Roland Garros in 2023 and Indian Wells in 2025.
With this latest victory, Alcaraz extends his ranking points advantage over American player Ben Shelton—who is not competing this week—to 480 points. Meanwhile, compatriot Jaume Munar also advanced to the quarterfinals in Tokyo, continuing an exceptional week after advancing through the qualifying phase with wins over Americans Marcos Giron and Aleksandar Kovacevic, before surprising third seed Taylor Fritz in the first round and Portuguese player Jaime Faria in the round of sixteen. Munar will face French player Kyrian Jacquet, the world number 86, with the Balearic player facing a golden opportunity to reach the semifinals of the 500-level tournament. This marks Munar’s third quarterfinals of the year following Adelaide, Rotterdam, and Geneva, and the 125 points he has earned will allow him to climb eleven spots in the rankings and return to the top fifty players in the world.
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