Carlos Alcaraz overcomes 16-point slump to defeat Jaume Munar and reach Tokyo final

Semifinal turnaround in Tokyo

Carlos Alcaraz secured a place in the Japan Open final on Monday, 5 October 2026, after defeating fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in Tokyo. The top seed and world No. 3 recovered from losing 16 consecutive points across the first two sets to close out the contest in two hours and 33 minutes. Alcaraz initially took control of the opening set, serving for the set at 5-4 after securing a break in the seventh game. Munar responded by claiming three consecutive love games, capitalizing on back-to-back double faults from Alcaraz to capture the opener. The 23-year-old Spaniard dropped the first two points of the second set before arresting his slide and breaking Munar to reset the momentum.

Resetting momentum across sets

After trading service breaks in the early stages of the second set, Alcaraz generated three total breaks to take the set 6-3. Munar, who entered the main draw as a qualifier ranked between 49th and 64th and had eliminated 12th-ranked Taylor Fritz in the first round, faded as the match extended. Alcaraz dominated the deciding set, racing to a 5-0 advantage before converting his first match point at 6-1. The victory continued a trend for the defending champion in Tokyo, who had won his first three tournament matches through opening-set tiebreaks after a difficult opening match against 35th-ranked Alex Michelsen.

Speaking during his post-match interview, Alcaraz reflected on his early difficulties and tactical adjustments.

I don't know what happened in the first set. It seems that I'm struggling in every first set.... But I've come back every time and I'm really happy about it.

Comeback trail from injury layoff

The Tokyo final is the first championship decider for Alcaraz since his final against Jannik Sinner at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. The seven-time Grand Slam champion completed the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open in February 2026 before suffering a right wrist injury a week after Monte Carlo in Barcelona. The injury forced a layoff of more than four months, keeping him sidelined until his return at the US Open in late August. In New York, Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals before falling to Ben Shelton in a match concluding at 3:33 a.m. He has competed with a compression sleeve on his right arm throughout his return, which included an appearance for Team Europe at the Laver Cup in September.

Title match matchup and stakes

Alcaraz enters Tuesday's final seeking to defend the Japan Open crown he won last year and claim his 27th career singles title. His opponent will be Czech player Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Monaco's Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2 in the tournament's second semifinal. Lehecka, ranked 19th according to French tournament reporting, advanced past the eighth-seeded Vacherot in straight sets. Alcaraz noted that staying composed during Munar's aggressive spells was key to turning the semifinal encounter around. The championship match in Tokyo is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Alcaraz emphasized the importance of regaining offensive control after a difficult start against his compatriot.

Jaume is a pretty tough player to play against and these conditions suit him well. I'm just happy that in the second set I tried to stay there. I made a couple of breaks that helped a lot to get a bit of confidence. Then I started to play more aggressively.