Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Taylor Fritz with a score of 6-4, 6-4 in the Japan Open final held in Tokyo, marking his eighth title in what has been an outstanding year.
The World No. 1, Alcaraz, is closer to concluding the year atop the ATP rankings. He has won seven out of the last nine tournaments he’s participated in and reached the finals in the other two since April.
With this victory, Alcaraz joins the elite group of male players including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Jannik Sinner, all of whom have secured eight titles in a single season.
This win also allowed Alcaraz to avenge his recent surprising loss to Fritz at the Laver Cup in San Francisco earlier this month. It was his first defeat to Fritz in four encounters, which came soon after his successful campaign at the US Open.
“We’re witnessing one of the great seasons in men’s tennis. Carlos Alcaraz is all smiles!” commented Jonathan Overend, a commentator for Sky Sports Tennis.
Following his victory, Alcaraz announced he would not be competing at the Shanghai Masters, an event that will feature many top players including Sinner and Djokovic, as he aims to recover for the remaining tournaments of the season.
The Shanghai Masters is set to take place from Wednesday to next Sunday and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
