Carlos Alcaraz has arrived at the Japan Open, where he will be playing his first ATP 500 event since injuring his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April.
The Spaniard won the title last year, so he will be defending the full 500 points in Tokyo.
He will be competing against the likes of Frances Tiafoe, Rafael Jodar, Brandon Nakashima, and Casper Ruud as he looks to defend his championship.
The star has already pencilled in a practise session with a fellow ATP star before his first round match against Alex Michelsen on Thursday, 1st October.
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The Spaniard is set to play alongside Taylor Fritz on the Japan Open practise courts, with that scheduled for 1pm Tokyo time on Wednesday, 30th September.
Fritz and Alcaraz have just been opponents at the Laver Cup, which saw the Spaniard’s Team Europe comprehensively defeat the American’s Team World.
The American is the third seed at the tournament and he has been faced with a difficult first round tie against Jaume Munar, who has qualified for the main draw.
With Alcaraz playing an American in his first round match, and Fritz lining up against a Spaniard, it makes perfect sense for both men to get to grips with the Tokyo courts alongside each other.
Alcaraz is a big fan of the Japanese tournament, having played it for the first time in 2025.
“It was great for me to play in Japan for the first time,” said Alcaraz about his time at the tournament last year.
“It was a great campaign for the title, my first appearance here and I was able to lift the trophy. It was great. I can’t wait to get back on the court and try to defend the title this year. And I can’t wait to see all the fans in Japan.”
“I think I gave my all, I gave 100%. Even though I sprained my ankle in the first round and was still a bit unsure if I would even play or not. I just tried to enjoy it, play my tennis, play aggressively, and I think that was essential.”
Alcaraz defeated Sebastian Baez, Zizou Bergs, Brandon Nakashima, Casper Ruud, and Fritz to win his maiden Japan Open title in the 2025 season.
He dropped just one set at the tournament, which is incredibly impressive considering the star sprained his ankle in his first round match against Baez.
The Spaniard will be hoping for more of the same this year as he looks to climb the rankings once again, after such a long time away from the ATP Tour.
