Carlos Alcaraz’s first ATP Tour match ended with a victory as the Spaniard beat Alex Michelsen in three sets to confirm his place in the second round of the Japan Open.
Alcaraz took the first set off the American in a close-fought tie-break, but he was pegged back 6-4 in the second set. He confirmed the victory with a dominant 6-1 third set to set up a second round match against Matteo Arnaldi in Tokyo.
The world No 3 is still finding his way on a tennis court after missing four and a half months with injury, but there are plenty of signs that he will return to top form soon.
He has been helped along the way at the Japan Open as several results went in his favour in his half of the draw.
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Alcaraz is now the only seeded player left in the top half of the draw at the ATP 500 tournament, after a number of shock exits in the first round.
Tommy Paul, who looked to be Alcaraz’s most likely quarterfinal opponent, was beaten in straight sets by Alejandro Tabilo by a scoreline of 6-1, 6-2.
Taylor Fritz, the second seed at the tournament , suffered a similar shock, bowing out to Jaume Munar in three sets. The American looked set to be Alcaraz’s semifinal opponent.
Likewise, sixth seed Casper Ruud was also beaten in the first round. The Norwegian was beaten in straight sets by Luciano Darderi.
That means Alcaraz can now get to the final without playing a single seeded player. The highest ranked player he will now play is Darderi, who is currently ranked world No 19 on the ATP Tour.
Carlos Alcaraz’s most likely route to the Japan Open final
- 1R: Alex Michelsen (W)
- 2R: Luciano Darderi (confirmed)
- QF: Denis Shapovalov
- SF: Luciano Darderi
- F: Frances Tiafoe
Alcaraz has also expressed his urge to get more matches under his belt following his comeback at the US Open and the Laver Cup and he will now get the perfect opportunity to play matches against players ranked far below him.
His match against Michelsen shows he is still exhibiting signs of rustiness, but the shackles should be looser and looser with every match he plays in Tokyo.
The star is defending his title from last year, so he needs to win the title in order not to lose the 500 points he won at the 2025 tournament.
His easier draw could be absolutely crucial when it comes to climbing back up the rankings and trying to catch both Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner at world No 2 and world No 1.
