The ATP 500 tournament victory is Carlos Alcaraz’s third of the year after the Australian Open and Qatar Open
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday retained his Japan Open crown to continue his resurgence after a lengthy wrist injury layoff.
Alcaraz made another slow start before cruising past unseeded Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4) 6-4 in the Japan Open final on Tuesday.
The ATP 500 tournament victory is Alcaraz’s third of the year after the Australian Open and Qatar Open, before the 23-year-old was sidelined by an injury for nearly five months and returned at the US Open in late August.
“I’m really happy to be able to lift a trophy again,” Alcaraz said. “It’s been a while and obviously it’s extra special after my injury and my comeback, in the second tournament that I’m playing. “It was a really tough week and I didn’t play my best tennis and my best level but I did find good solutions and that’s what matters in the end.”
Alcaraz became the first man to go back-to-back in Tokyo since American Pete Sampras won the men’s title in both 1993 and 1994.
