Alcaraz achieved 67 ATP Tour wins and secured 8 titles during the 2025 season.

On Tuesday, at the Japan Open in Tokyo, Alcaraz swiftly took revenge on Fritz, overcoming the American number one to win his 8th championship of the season.

Only nine days ago at the Laver Cup, Alcaraz lost to Fritz; yet this time in Tokyo, he secured the final with a strong 6-4, 6-4 win, triumphing in his first appearance at the Tokyo 500 tournament. In the 2025 season, Alcaraz has amassed the best tour record with 67 wins and 8 titles, approaching the record set by Sinner last year with 73 wins.

Alcaraz stated:

“Without a doubt, this has been my best season so far, with 8 titles and 10 finals appearances... This truly reflects how much effort I have put in to experience these moments and achieve my goals. At the start of the season, my form was not good, and I struggled emotionally. Being able to come through that tough period makes me proud, and I am grateful to everyone who has supported me to reach where I am today.”

Since losing to Sinner in the Wimbledon final in July, Alcaraz has made a strong comeback, winning consecutive titles at the ATP 1000 Cincinnati, US Open, and now Tokyo. With his 24th career tour-level title, the 22-year-old Alcaraz is tied with Zverev as the male player born after 1990 with the most championships.

Although Fritz requested medical timeouts twice due to left thigh discomfort and was unable to contain Alcaraz’s signature powerful game in the final, he still boosted his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin. The runner-up from last year has moved up one spot to fifth place on the PIF ATP Turin leaderboard.

The final was thrilling. Using his trademark powerful forehand and instinctive returns, Alcaraz pressured Fritz from all corners of the court, breaking serve on his sixth break point to take the first set. In that set, Alcaraz’s forehand quality rating reached 9.7, hitting 7 winners with only 4 unforced errors.

Talking about his Tokyo debut, Alcaraz joked:

“I enjoyed every second, except for the five minutes I spent sitting on the ground after twisting my ankle. I’m very happy with my performance and everything overall. My ankle wasn’t in great shape at the start of the week, but I’m really glad I managed to recover from that.”

At the end of the first set, Fritz took a medical timeout to treat his left thigh; after three games in the second set, he also applied kinesiology tape to the same leg. The American’s movement was clearly limited, making it difficult for him to cope with Alcaraz’s varied shots throughout the second set.

Although Fritz hit a down-the-line backhand winner late in the match to break back once, Alcaraz sealed the victory after 93 minutes by winning the second serve match point. This win puts Alcaraz ahead 4-1 in their ATP head-to-head record.

At this point in the 2025 season, many players are carrying some form of injury. Whether in Tokyo or Beijing, some players have withdrawn mid-tournament or, like Fritz, have continued to compete while injured.

The upcoming Shanghai Masters may reveal even more players dealing with physical issues. This highlights the challenges behind the glamorous life of a professional athlete.

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