After losing 16 consecutive points, Carlos Alcaraz overcame a sluggish start to defeat Jaume Munar and reach his first final since April.
The silence in the Ariake Coliseum during the transition between the first and second sets was heavy. Carlos Alcaraz, the third-ranked player in the world, had just watched his game evaporate. He surrendered 16 points in a row—a total collapse that handed the first set to his compatriot Jaume Munar and threatened to end his tournament run on Monday.
Alcaraz’s momentum didn’t just stall; it vanished. After securing a break midway through the opening set. he spiraled. committing back-to-back double faults that locked in a 7-5 loss. The losing streak continued into the start of the second set, extending his drought to 16 straight points lost. Yet, as quickly as the match seemed to slip away, the tide shifted. Alcaraz broke Munar’s serve in the opening game of the second set and. from that point forward. dismantled his opponent to clinch the semifinal 5-7. 6-3. 6-1.
This victory marks a significant milestone. It is the first time Alcaraz has reached a final since returning from a four-and-a-half-month layoff due to a right-wrist injury. Since his return in late August. he has worn a compression sleeve on his right arm. a constant reminder of the physical battle that kept him off the court since his loss to Jannik Sinner at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. His comeback path included a quarterfinal appearance at the U.S. Open—a match against Ben Shelton that dragged until 3:33 a.m.
“I don’t know what happened in the first set. It seems I’m having difficulties in every first set,” Alcaraz admitted after the match. “But I’ve come back every time and I’m very happy about it.”
He credited his recovery to a shift in tactics once he regained his footing. “Jaume is a tough opponent and these conditions suit him very well. I’m happy that in the second set I tried to stay there. I managed a couple of breaks that helped a lot to win some confidence. Then I started to play more aggressively.”.
For Munar, the semifinal exit ends a tournament where he had already pulled off a major upset by defeating 12th-ranked Taylor Fritz in the opening round.
Now, the focus shifts to Tuesday. Alcaraz, the top seed here in Tokyo, will face Jiri Lehecka. The Czech player earned his spot in the final with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Valentin Vacherot of Monaco. For Alcaraz. it is a chance to revalidate the title he holds at the Ariake Coliseum and finally push past the hurdle that has defined his season.
Carlos Alcaraz Japan Open Tennis Jaume Munar Jiri Lehecka Ariake Coliseum ATP