Slowly, but with good writing

Carlos Alcaraz is gradually finding his form amid ups and downs and great doses of talent at the ATP 500 in Tokyo. This was evident in his first two matches against Alex Michelsen and Matteo Arnaldi, and it happened again during his quarter-final match against Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian put up a great fight in a very close first set filled with twists and turns, where the experience of the Murcian prevailed. However, the intensity of the match wore down Shapovalov's energy (7-6(3) RET), forcing him to retire, and the Murcian will face Jaume Munar for a spot in the final.

Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open and participating in the Laver Cup, Alcaraz is still in the process of reintegrating into the circuit after four and a half months of injury. There are still things to fine-tune, and a tournament like the ATP 500 Tokyo can help him regain more and more consistency after a long absence.

This is how Alcaraz won against Shapovalov at the ATP 500 in Tokyo 

In his debut, he struggled significantly against Alex Michelsen, and against Matteo Arnaldi, he improved as the match went on. He is still not at 100%, but what remains intact is his talent. Against both the American and the Italian, he relied on his skill in the most challenging moments. And it happened again in his match against Shapovalov.

The first games against the Canadian served to gauge each player's initial feelings. Shapovalov seemed a bit more active, very confident with his serve, but somewhat timid on return. However, everything changed in the sixth game, the moment when the first set ceased to have any logical flow.

During the next seven games, serves will be broken on six occasions. Neither player will succeed in holding their serve. Both find themselves much more secure on the return, where they manage to apply plenty of pressure, yet are unable to consolidate their advantages with their serves.

Same shot 💪 same end result 🤩 #japanopentennis https://t.co/yUcZkqOt3B

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 4, 2026

Alcaraz, as he did against Michelsen and Arnaldi, experiences ups and downs in his game. He mixes his strokes of virtuosity with drop shots and cross-court forehands alongside unforced errors that he usually does not make (18 in the first set). Nevertheless, he maintains the momentum displayed in his previous matches and saves a set point. He will have the chance to close the set but gets entangled again with his serve and the first set will be decided in the tiebreak.

In the conclusion, the pattern of the first set is replicated, with many twists and little dominance on serve, but when the Murcian smells blood, he does not let go of his prey. The best example is when he closes the first set with the longest rally of the match and with a soft backhand touch to surpass Shapovalov at the net. For the first time, he smiles and puts a finger to his ear to lift the crowd in Tokyo. It is confirmed, his natural talent remains innate.

However, the tough battle of the first set leaves Shapovalov in bad shape and on the first point of the second set, he places his hands on his hip. Suddenly, he stops moving and begins to limp. Silence falls over the Center Court as he calls for the physio, but the end was already written. His body can take no more, and he throws in the towel after a great first set.

Thus, Carlos Alcaraz, who continues to gain match fitness and time on the court with his talent saving him in the most difficult moments, advances to the semi-finals of the ATP 500 in Tokyo (7-6(3), 2-1 RET), where he will face his compatriot Jaume Munar, ensuring that there will be a Spaniard in the final of the Japanese tournament.
 

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