Carlos Alcaraz punched his ticket to a second consecutive Japan Open final after completing a comeback victory against Jaume Munar.
Alcaraz‘s Spanish compatriot gave him a run for his money in the semifinals of the ATP 500 event, taking the first set before going a break of serve up early in the second. The seven-time major champion quickly found another gear, though, and rallied to beat Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
The 23-year-old, who is the defending champion in Tokyo, will play in his fourth final of 2026 and will bid to capture his third title of the year following triumphs at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.
Carlos Alcaraz surpasses Novak Djokovic in key statistic
Alcaraz’s victory means he has now reached the final in 16 of the 33 events he has played in at ATP 250 and ATP 500 level; a strike rate of 48.5%. Since 1990, only Roger Federer has tallied a higher rate of finals below ATP Masters 1000 level, according to Opta Ace.
The seven-time major champion surpassed Novak Djokovic’s rate of 48.1%, putting him second in the all-time list. Rafael Nadal trails Djokovic in fourth on that list with 45.0%, followed by Pete Sampras on 44.7%.
What would the score be if Carlos Alcaraz faced prime Roger Federer?
Who is winning and in how many sets?
Alcaraz has competed at three ATP 500 tournaments this season, the first of which was the Qatar Open in Doha, which he won fairly comfortably. The only event at the level he has failed to make the final of in 2026 is the Barcelona Open, which he was forced to retire from due to a wrist injury that ultimately kept him sidelined for four months.
Of the 26 ATP titles he has clinched in his career, 11 of them have been won at either ATP 500 or ATP 250 level. Seven of the remaining 15 were won at Grand Slams, while eight were picked up at ATP Masters 1000 level.
Carlos Alcaraz’s results in finals this season
Alcaraz’s first final of the 2026 season came at the Australian Open, where he was pitted against Djokovic with the chance of becoming the youngest man ever to complete the Career Grand Slam. He came back from a set down to defeat the Serb and hoist the trophy at Melbourne Park for the first time.
In his second final of the season, Alcaraz wasted no time at all in his pursuit of victory, having beaten Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-1 in the championship match of the Qatar Open.
The only title bout Alcaraz has lost this year was at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he fell in his only match with Jannik Sinner in 2026 thus far. Sinner beat Alcaraz in straight sets on the clay, winning 7-6, 6-3 to capture a fourth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title.
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