Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill advanced to the quarterfinals of the Japan Open in Tokyo before retiring from his match against top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz due to injury on Sunday. Alcaraz was leading 7-6(3), 2-1 when Shapovalov withdrew from the ATP 500 event.
How Shapovalov reached the quarterfinals
Shapovalov opened the tournament with a dominant 7-5, 6-1 victory over Japan's Sho Shimabukuro on Thursday. The Canadian, ranked No. 46 in the world, struck 11 aces and committed only two double faults, while Shimabukuro produced just one ace and six double faults. Shapovalov evened his season record to 19-19 with the win.
In the second round on Saturday, Shapovalov defeated Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. The Canadian broke Tabilo in the final game to seal the match and converted four of five break-point opportunities. Tabilo, ranked No. 31, had been seeded higher but fell to Shapovalov's aggressive play.
What happened in the quarterfinal
Alcaraz held a commanding position when Shapovalov retired. The defending champion had won the opening set in a tiebreak and broken Shapovalov's serve early in the second set. At the time of the retirement, Shapovalov had converted three of four break-point chances and saved four of Alcaraz's seven opportunities, but the injury forced him to withdraw.
Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals to face Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar.
Sources
- Sportsnet.ca: Canada's Shapovalov retires from Japan Open quarterfinal due to injury. Published 2026-10-04.
- Sportsnet.ca: Canada's Denis Shapovalov advances to quarterfinals at Japan Open. Published 2026-10-03.
- CBC: Canada's Shapovalov cruises past Shimabukuro into Round of 16 at Japan Open. Published 2026-10-01.
Reported from public sources.