Denis Shapovalov's campaign at the Japan Open ended on Sunday when the Richmond Hill, Ontario, native retired from his quarterfinal match against top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz due to injury. Alcaraz was leading 7-6(3), 2-1 when Shapovalov withdrew, according to Sportsnet.ca.
How Shapovalov reached the quarterfinals
Shapovalov won his first two matches at the Tokyo event to set up the clash with Alcaraz. The Canadian defeated Japan's Sho Shimabukuro 7-5, 6-1 on Thursday, then beat Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 on Saturday. Against Tabilo, Shapovalov converted four of five break-point opportunities and broke his opponent in the final game to secure the victory, according to Sportsnet.ca.
Alcaraz's path to the semifinals
Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals after Shapovalov's retirement. The Spanish top seed had defeated Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 7-6(6), 6-1 on Saturday to reach the quarterfinals, continuing his return to competition following a four-month layoff due to a wrist injury. Alcaraz will next face Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar in the semifinals.
Shapovalov, ranked No. 46 in the world, had won at least two matches at each of his past three tournaments, including a semifinal run at the Chengdu Open. His season record stood at 20-19 before his withdrawal in Tokyo.
Sources
- CBC: Denis Shapovalov to meet Carlos Alcaraz in quarterfinals at Japan Open. Published 2026-10-03.
- 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.
Reported from public sources.