Alcaraz triumphs in Japan, wins 1st title since wrist injury

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Carlos Alcaraz added another title to his prestigious collection after claiming this year’s Japan Open, sweeping the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka in the final, 7-6, 6-4, on Oct. 6, 2026, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

With the win, Alcaraz bagged his first ATP title since returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him for nearly five months.

It wasn’t the dream start that Alcaraz envisioned after dropping his first service game of the match, allowing Lehecka to establish a momentum-boosting 2-0 lead.

However, Alcaraz completed the comeback with a break in the sixth game to equalize at 3-all, turning the nip-and-tuck affair into a battle of service holds.

Neither player conceded serve in the next five games, setting up a highly anticipated tiebreak, which Lehecka dominated from the get-go.

After forcing Alcaraz into several sloppy returns off well-placed first serves, the Czech netter zoomed to a 4-2 lead, moving three points away from snatching the set from the world No. 3.

However, Alcaraz once again wove his magic under the bright lights of the ATP stage after sweeping the next five points, countering Lehecka’s baseline aggression with a risky approach to the net.

Alcaraz not only dominated the net, but he also displayed several insane drop shots in the most crucial moments of his come-from-behind stretch.

The closing moments of the tiebreak were anticlimactic, as Lehecka ran out of gas and committed back-to-back backhand errors.

Oozing with confidence after a hard-fought comeback win in the opener, Alcaraz completely stole the show in the ensuing period and brought the crowd to its feet with elite shot-making and a more consistent service outing.

The turning point came in the seventh game as Alcaraz scored the lone break of serve in the set to break the 3-all deadlock.

With momentum on his side, Alcaraz protected all his remaining service games to officially return to the ATP’s mountaintop.

“I’m really happy to get a trophy again,” Alcaraz said after the win.

“It’s been a while, and obviously this is extra special after my injury. Lifting the trophy, it means a lot and I am really happy about it. I didn’t find my best tennis, but I did find the best solutions.”