Carlos Alcaraz will continue his comeback to tennis this week at the Japan Open in Tokyo, where he is the defending champion.
After missing five months of the ATP season with a wrist injury, Alcaraz has since played the US Open and the Laver Cup. He reached the quarterfinals of the former and won the latter with Team Europe, winning both of his matches in London.
Alcaraz will now play at the Japan Open, with his title defence starting out against Alex Michelsen. American Michelsen will be up for the test, but the Spanish superstar has arguably already been handed a boost for the match from his Laver Cup teammate Alexander Zverev.
Carlos Alcaraz receives Japan Open boost from Alexander Zverev
Day three of the Laver Cup started with Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Mensik defeating Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz in singles. Zverev then beat Learner Tien to take Europe’s tally to 13, thus claiming the trophy for the home side. And that meant that the remaining matches on Sunday were not required.
Next up in the schedule was Alcaraz versus De Minaur. But the Spaniard was saved from any more physical exertion on the tricky indoor hard court of The O2, and he has Zverev to thank, along with his other European teammates. The Australian had already played, but he rarely gives up without a fight, and would have more than likely provided Alcaraz with a very tough test in London, both physically and mentally.
But the Spanish ace should now be feeling relatively fit and fresh for the Japan Open after playing just twice at the Laver Cup. And captain Yannick Noah certainly deserves credit for how he managed Alcaraz throughout the week, clearly trying to protect the seven-time Grand Slam champion as best he could.
The 23-year-old should arrive in Tokyo on Monday and start practising on Tuesday, before the ATP 500 tournament starts on Wednesday. He lifted the trophy there last year with a 6-4, 6-4 final victory over Taylor Fritz, who he also just beat in singles and doubles at the Laver Cup. Alcaraz shone brightly at the Laver Cup, and should be feeling really confident about another lengthy run at the Japan Open.
Which player do you think will win the men’s singles title at the China Open this year?
Zverev impressed at the Laver Cup too, and the German is also in action again this week. But he is playing at the China Open in Beijing, where he is the top seed. Zverev starts out against Cameron Norrie, and could meet the likes of Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev en route to a possible title. The high-quality field also includes Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur and Flavio Cobolli.
Zverev and Alcaraz have each claimed two ATP titles in the 2026 season so far, while the former leads the latter in the world rankings. The German is second and the Spaniard is third, with Italian star Jannik Sinner still leading the way despite his injury absence. A six-time winner in 2026, Sinner is out of the China Open with a knee injury.
