Carlos Alcaraz will defend his Japan Open title against Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday in Tokyo, setting up an intriguing ATP 500 final between the world No. 3 and a Czech player riding a six-match winning streak.
The Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships reached its climax after both men advanced from Monday’s semi-finals at Ariake Coliseum. Alcaraz, the top seed and defending champion, needed three sets to overcome qualifier Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. He dropped 16 consecutive points while serving for the opening set and early in the second, yet steadied himself to close the match comfortably. The Spaniard called the lapse puzzling but noted he has repeatedly recovered from slow starts this week.
Lehecka, ranked No. 19, was far more efficient. He defeated Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2 without dropping serve for long stretches, dropping only four of 40 service points according to match statistics. The Czech has lost just eight games across his last two matches and arrives in the final on the back of Davis Cup wins that helped the Czech Republic reach the Final 8.
This will be Alcaraz’s first tour-level final since his loss to Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo in April and his first since returning from a right-wrist injury that sidelined him for roughly four and a half months. He reached the US Open quarterfinals on his comeback and has gone 9-1 since late August, though he has come from a set down twice in Tokyo. A title here would be his first of the season since February and would extend a strong record at ATP 500 events.
Their head-to-head favors the Spaniard 3-1. Alcaraz won their most recent meeting in the US Open quarterfinals this year and also beat Lehecka on grass at Queen’s. Lehecka’s lone victory came on outdoor hard courts in Doha in 2025. The Czech has reached his eighth career ATP final but owns a modest 2-5 record in title matches, with his last trophy coming early in 2025.
Conditions in Tokyo have rewarded clean ball-striking and first-serve percentage. Alcaraz has shown flashes of his best level after the early wobbles, while Lehecka’s serving consistency gives him a clear path to an upset if the Spaniard’s first-set issues reappear.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, and offers Alcaraz a chance to reclaim the trophy he won last year while testing how far his post-injury form has progressed.
