Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jiri Lehecka in Tokyo to defend Japan Open title

Final victory in Tokyo

Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz defeated unseeded Czech player Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-4 to win the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Tuesday. The match lasted one hour and 36 minutes on the hard courts in Tokyo, improving Alcaraz's head-to-head record against Lehecka to 4-1 across five encounters. Lehecka broke Alcaraz in the opening game of the match before the Spaniard recovered to level the first set at 3-3. Lehecka opened a 4-2 lead in the first-set tie-break, but Alcaraz took five consecutive points to secure the set. In the second set, Alcaraz secured the decisive break of serve in the seventh game to lead 4-3 before serving out the match.

Return from wrist injury

The victory in Tokyo is Alcaraz's first tournament win in over seven months, following a wrist injury that kept him off the court from April to August. Tokyo was only his second competitive event since returning, following a five-set quarter-final defeat to Ben Shelton at the US Open. Earlier in 2026, Alcaraz won the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic on 1 February and defeated Arthur Fils in the Doha ATP 500 final on 21 February. His spring campaign included a semi-final run in Indian Wells, a third-round exit in Miami, and a runner-up finish against Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo prior to his injury layoff.

Alcaraz noted the personal significance of winning so quickly after his time away from the tour.

I am very happy to lift a trophy again. It has been a long time, and after the injury this success tastes special. Winning a title in just my second tournament back means a lot to me.

Standings and title defense

With this win, the 23-year-old from Murcia became the third player to successfully defend the singles title in Tokyo, joining Stefan Edberg (1989-1991) and Pete Sampras (1993-1994). The trophy is Alcaraz's 27th career ATP singles title in 36 final appearances, placing him third on the all-time list of Spanish title winners behind Rafael Nadal with 92 titles and Manuel Orantes with 34 titles. For Lehecka, the world number 19, the loss in Tokyo represented his sixth defeat in eight career ATP singles finals.

Tournament points and match reflections

Alcaraz secured 500 ATP ranking points and a $437,900 winner's check from the tournament's $2.342 million total prize pool, while Lehecka collected 330 points and $235,600. The Spaniard reached the final after recovering from a set down in the semi-finals on Monday to defeat compatriot Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Alcaraz reflected on his ability to manage pressure throughout the tournament week.

I am very pleased with this. It was a tough week. I might not have played at my highest level, but I found the right solutions and I think that ultimately that is what counts, to play the most important points as well as possible. I think I managed that this week. I would say today's match was the best of the entire tournament, or at least the one where I showed the most consistent form.