Top seed Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a set down to beat fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 on Monday night in the Tokyo ATP 500 semi-final, reaching the final for the second consecutive year. Alcaraz controlled the early stages of the first set before faltering at 5-4, allowing the qualifier Munar to take it. His level improved markedly midway through the second set when he shifted to a more aggressive approach, and he dominated the third to secure the victory.
Why this matters for the ATP calendar
The defending champion is now into his 36th Tour-level final, moving him past Sergi Bruguera into fifth place among Spanish men in the Open Era. Alcaraz remains undefeated in eight matches at Tokyo and has won 20 consecutive ATP 500 matches since losing to Holger Rune in last year's Barcelona final. This is his first final appearance since Monte-Carlo in April, following a five-month injury absence.
Alcaraz's path to the final
Alcaraz reached the semi-final with wins over Canadian Denis Shapovalov (7-6(3), 2-1 ret.), Italian Matteo Arnaldi (7-6(6), 6-1), and American Alex Michelsen (7-6). He now leads Munar 4-1 in their head-to-head record and has won 16 straight matches against fellow Spanish opponents since 2022.
The world No. 3 will face Jiri Lehecka in the final, as the Czech player advanced past Vacherot in the other semi-final.
Sources
- Tennis Majors: Alcaraz recovers from a set down against Munar to set up Tokyo final with Lehecka. Published 2026-10-05.
Reported from public sources.