Alcaraz Opens Tokyo Title Defence Against US Open Surprise Michelsen

Carlos Alcaraz flew straight from London to Tokyo after the Laver Cup, and his first match there is a tricky one. The top seed and defending champion at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships faces Alex Michelsen in the first round. The 22-year-old American reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open last month.

The two have never played on the ATP Tour. According to match listings, their opener is expected on Thursday, once the main draw that began on Wednesday has moved through its first day.

Momentum from London

Alcaraz arrives after an eventful weekend. At the Laver Cup in London he saved two match points against Taylor Fritz on Saturday and won 6-3, 4-6, 13-11, finishing the deciding match tie-break with a drop shot on his third match point. The win was revenge: Fritz's only career victory over the Spaniard came at last year's Laver Cup. Earlier in the weekend, Alcaraz had also won a doubles match with Jakub Menšík, and Team Europe went on to beat Team World 13-5.

That kind of competitive rhythm is valuable because his 2026 season has been broken up. He won the Australian Open and Doha early in the year, but then a right wrist injury kept him off the tour from mid-April. His title defence in New York ended in the quarter-finals, when Ben Shelton beat him 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-6) in a match that finished at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in US Open history. A Tokyo title would be his third of the season.

Michelsen no easy opener

Michelsen has the form to make things awkward. He was unseeded in New York and made the last eight, where he led Frances Tiafoe by two sets before losing 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6. That same Tiafoe is the second seed in Tokyo. He opens against home favourite Kei Nishikori, who is playing the final tournament of his career.

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A familiar path to the title

If Alcaraz gets through, his route could bring back some recent rematches. In the second round he would face either Matteo Arnaldi or Japanese wild card Rei Sakamoto. Seventh seed Tommy Paul, whom Alcaraz beat at the US Open, is his projected quarter-final opponent. Third seed Fritz is projected for the semi-finals.

A Fritz rematch in the last four would also repeat last year's Tokyo final, which Alcaraz won 6-4, 6-4 to claim the 24th title of his career. He had turned his ankle early in that week but dropped only one set on his way to the trophy.

The rest of the seeds are Rafael Jódar (4), Brandon Nakashima (5), Casper Ruud (6) and Valentin Vacherot (8). Holger Rune is also back at tour level for the first time since the Achilles injury he suffered in Stockholm last October, and he opens against France's Kyrian Jacquet.