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  • Carlos Alcaraz’s full schedule for rest of 2025 season revealed after Shanghai Masters withdrawal

    Carlos Alcaraz took the decision to skip the Shanghai Masters after winning the Japan Open, but what does his schedule for the rest of 2025 look like?

    The world No 1 pulled out of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai shortly after defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the ATP 500 in Tokyo.

    Alcaraz suffered an ankle injury in his opening match in Japan and managed to play on, but the issue was cited as the reason for his withdrawal from Shanghai.

    “I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year! Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover,” Alcaraz said in a video.

    “I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year.”

    Here are all of the events Alcaraz is still due to play this year.

    6 Kings Slam exhibition, Riyadh – October 15-18

    Alcaraz is next set to appear at the second edition of the hugely lucrative 6 Kings Slam exhibition in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

    The event, which will begin three days after the conclusion of the Shanghai Masters, will also feature Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

    The six players will each earn a $1.5million participation fee, with the winner securing an additional $4.5 million. Alcaraz lost to Sinner in the final at the 2024 edition.

    Paris Masters – October 27 – November 2

    The next ATP tournament on Alcaraz’s schedule is the indoor hard-court Masters 1000 in Paris, which will get underway almost a month after the Spaniard won the final in Tokyo.

    The 22-year-old holds a 5-4 record from his previous four appearances at the Paris event, with his best result his quarter-final run in 2022.

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    ATP Finals, Turin – November 9-16

    Alcaraz will look to secure his maiden ATP Finals title in his third appearance at the season-ending championships staged on indoor hard-court in Turin.

    He was a semi-finalist on his debut in 2023 and exited at the round robin stage last year, while he also qualified in 2022, but was forced to pull out due to injury.

    Davis Cup Finals, Bologna – November 18-23

    Alcaraz is expected to lead Spain at the 2025 Davis Cup Finals, which will be held in Bologna, Italy for the first time. The six-time Grand Slam champion is yet to win the Davis Cup.

    Miami Tennis Invitational exhibition – December 8

    Alcaraz has been confirmed for the inaugural Miami Tennis Invitational, where he will face Joao Fonseca in an exhibition match at loanDepot park — the home of the Miami Marlins. The one-night event will take place during the tennis off-season on December 8.

    Other events Alcaraz might play

    Alcaraz has not signed up for either Vienna or Basel, the indoor hard-court ATP 500 tournaments that will run from October 20-26 in the week before the Paris Masters.

    It is still possible Alcaraz could appear at one of these events if he is given a late wildcard.

    READ NEXT: China Open prize money & ranking points won by Sinner, Tien, de Minaur, Medvedev & co revealed

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  • Jannik Sinner closes gap to Carlos Alcaraz in ATP Rankings after China Open victory

    Jannik Sinner dominated Learner Tien in the final of the 2025 China Open to secure his 23rd career title and third of the season, but what impact has the victory had on his ranking?

    The four-time Grand Slam champion defeated 52nd-ranked Tien 6-2, 6-2 to claim his second title at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing to add to his triumph in 2023.

    Sinner is the fourth man to win multiple titles at the China Open after Michael Chang (three titles), Rafael Nadal (two titles) and Novak Djokovic (six titles).

    The Italian has now reached the final at the last nine tournaments he has played on hard courts, securing six titles — a run that began at the 2024 Cincinnati Masters.

    With the 500 points earned for his victory in Beijing, Sinner has increased his points tally by 170 points to 10,950 as he lost in last year’s China Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.

    Alcaraz, who replaced Sinner as the world No 1 after defeating him in the US Open final last month, remains on 11,540 points as his triumph at the Japan Open yesterday saw him defend his 500 points from his 2024 Beijing win.

    This means Sinner has closed the gap to Alcaraz at the top of the ATP Rankings to 590 points.

    Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters and will, therefore, drop the 200 points he earned for reaching the quarter-finals at last year’s edition of the event.

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    Sinner will not be able to overtake Alcaraz after Shanghai, though, as he is the reigning champion, but he could reduce the gap to 390 points if he successfully defends his 1,000 points by winning the title again.

    In the battle to finish the year as the world No 1, Alcaraz remains firmly in pole position as he sits top of the Race to Turin rankings on 11,040 points — 2,590 points clear of second-placed Sinner.

    What did Sinner say after his China Open win?

    Sinner spoke about the special connection he has to the China Open in his post-tournament press conference.

    “When you win again a title where you won already, it’s a very special place, no? It was for sure couple of years ago a turning point for my career, playing some great tennis against great opponents. This I will always remember,” said the 24-year-old.

    “I come back here, and winning again, it’s very nice. Yeah, so the support has been amazing since day one.”

    The world No 2 also addressed emulating Djokovic and Nadal by claiming multiple titles at the event.

    “Yeah, great, of course, having my name next to them,” Sinner said. “In the same time, as I always say everyone is different, everyone tries to make his own path and way of career. I don’t know how many times they played here actually.

    “But for me, this will always be a beautiful tournament no matter what’s coming in the future. It’s very unusual to come to a place for the first time and you win straightaway. This happened to me here.

    “Now three finals in a row in three years. It means that I really like to play tennis here. I feel very comfortable. Yeah, it’s very nice also to see that other big, big players have played here in these stadiums. It’s very nice.”

    SREAD NEXT: China Open prize money & ranking points won by Sinner, Tien, de Minaur, Medvedev & co revealed

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  • Watch: Daniil Medvedev in furious meltdown with umpire after he ‘made a mistake’ with code violation

    Daniil Medvedev accused the chair umpire of ‘trying to intimidate him’ after he was bizarrely handed a code violation a few minutes before he was forced to retire from his match at the China Open.

    The Russian star was struck down by cramps in his semi-final match against Learner Tien and looked set to call time on the match until umpire Adel Nour intervened and accused the former US Open champion of not giving his best effort.

    He handed Medvedev a code violation, with predictably sparked a big outburst from the fiery Russian, as supervisor Roland Herfel was called onto the court.

    “You prefer that I retire?” Medvedev said. “Say to the guys and the cameras that you prefer I retire. I’m giving my best effort so why the hell are you saying I’m not giving my best effort. Who are you to decide for me? Who are you? What’s your name?”

    Medvedev went on to suggest he was trying to improve his behaviour after he was given a $42,500 fine following an explosive outburst during his defeat in the US Open last month and he references that during this latest incident.

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    “Why is every referee in the world trying to intimidate me? I didn’t say one word,” he added.

    “After US Open, I’m trying to be good and this guy is doing that? I’m supposed to act good? Why are you trying to intimidate me? What’s your problem with me?”

    Umpire Nour’s intervention appeared to be especially harsh, as Medvedev was clearly hoping he could battle on for a few points in the hope that the cramps might clear.

    In the end, he was forced to retire with the score at 5-7, 7-5, 4-0 in the final set, with the match commentators giving their verdict on what appeared to be a brutal judgment by the umpire.

    Commentator Miles MacLagan suggested he was surprised by the umpire’s intervention, as he implemented the ‘best effort’ rule all players need to follow.

    “What that for best effort,” asked the former coach of Andy Murray. “I think the umpire has made a mistake there. His best efforts are what they are right now.”

    Medvedev will now head to Shanghai looking to build on an impressive return to form in China and he should also be commended for controlling his anger after an pretty bizarre intervention from the umpire.

    READ NEXT: ‘It drives me crazy’ – One of tennis’ biggest hotheads reveals true thoughts on the sport

    The post Watch: Daniil Medvedev in furious meltdown with umpire after he ‘made a mistake’ with code violation appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Emma Raducanu leaves former WTA star concerned for two reasons after brutal China Open loss

    Former British No 1 Annabel Croft has warned Emma Raducanu that her WTA Tour rivals will capitalise if she does not overcome a worrying pattern from her last two losses.

    Raducanu lost 6-3, 6-7(9), 0-6 to world No 7 Jessica Pegula in the third round of the China Open after being up a set and a break and having three match points in the second set tiebreak.

    The world No 32’s campaign at the WTA 250 event in Seoul ended in very similar circumstances as she fell 6-4, 6-7(10), 1-6 to Barbora Krejcikova in the second round.

    Against Krejcikova, the Brit led by a set and 5-2 and was unable to convert a match point when serving for the match at 5-4, before letting a further two match points slip away in a tense tiebreak.

    Speaking after Raducanu’s loss to Pegula at the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, Croft commented on the trend and also expressed concern that her compatriot had lost to a top 10 player again.

    “You have to sit and talk about it because you don’t want patterns emerging like this and then players talking about it and sussing it out in the locker room,” the former world No 24 told Sky Sports.

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    “Players do tend to have patterns that emerge, she’s not unique in that sense. I just think it’s unusual to have two matches like she’s had and to have three match points and not convert is very unfortunate.

    “It’s such a shame because she’s played so well, but she’s let it get away from her far too quickly. And worryingly, it’s another loss against a top 10 player.”

    After her victory against Raducanu, Pegula said: “That was a crazy match. It was a lot of fun.

    “The tiebreak was intense, but I got myself back in and kept the pressure on. When she [Raducanu] hit the double fault, I knew I was still playing some good tennis and it was right there. I got a little lucky with my two backhand winners.

    “Other than that, I tried to keep fighting for as long as I could. The crowd was awesome, this court has been good to me and I’m excited to play here. I’m happy I got through tonight and I’ll try to rest and recover.”

    Raducanu will next compete at the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan.

    READ NEXT: Wuhan Open seeds, draw date, prize money, ranking points: Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Raducanu in action

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  • What Carlos Alcaraz’s Shanghai Masters withdrawal means for Jannik Sinner amid world No 1 battle

    Carlos Alcaraz started his Asian swing with a thrilling run to the Japan Open title in Tokyo – but that will be the last we see of the Spaniard in Asia this year.

    The Spaniard’s triumph in Tokyo came after he suffered what appeared to be a notable ankle injury in his opening match, and as a result, he has now withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters — the biggest event of the Asian swing.

    “I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year! Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover,” said Alcaraz.

    “I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year.”

    Alcaraz’s withdrawal is undoubtedly a blow for the Masters 1000 event, though world No 2 and reigning champion Jannik Sinner is still set to be in action, following the conclusion of his China Open campaign in Beijing.

    Here, we look at what this withdrawal could mean for the ATP’s two leading stars, as they battle for supremacy — and the world No 1 ranking — at the very top of the men’s game.

    As it stands

    Twelve months ago, Alcaraz beat Sinner in the China Open final, meaning the pair had 500 and 330 ranking points to defend this week, respectively.

    Though Alcaraz did not return to defend his title in Beijing, his run in Tokyo matches that result, meaning he defends his 500 points successfully — and will remain on 11,540 points in the ATP Rankings.

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    Having reached the China Open final once again, Sinner has also successfully defended his 330 points from 2024, and sits on his official total of 10,780 in the ATP Live Rankings.

    However, Sinner is the significant favourite to beat Learner Tien in Wednesday’s China Open final, and would move up to 10,950 points should he triumph at the ATP 500 event.

    That would see him sit just 590 points behind Alcaraz, though he would remain 760 points behind if he were to lose Tien.

    What does it mean for Shanghai?

    Alcaraz was a quarter-finalist at the Shanghai Masters in 2024, with the star suffering a surprise defeat to Tomas Machac in the last eight.

    That run earned him 200 points that he will no longer defend, ensuring that he will drop to 11,340 points once the ATP Rankings update post-Shanghai.

    However, the good news for the 22-year-old is that he is guaranteed to remain as the world No 1 without hitting a single ball — with Sinner heading into the tournament as the reigning champion.

    After beating Novak Djokovic to lift the title in 2024, the Italian has 1,000 points to defend at the tournament, and the only way he can make up any ground is if he defends the title.

    A runner-up finish would secure Sinner 650 points in 2025, meaning he would drop 350 points in the ATP Rankings — dropping 150 points more than Alcaraz will be dropping.

    The only way Sinner can gain ground on Alcaraz is if he wins both the China Open and Shanghai Masters titles in the next two weeks.

    If he were to win both events, he would sit on 10,950 points, just 390 points behind Alcaraz in the post-Shanghai rankings.

    However, any other result for Sinner in Beijing — but particularly in Shanghai — will see him lose ground, and boost Alcaraz’s chances of finishing 2025 as the year-end No 1.

    Read Next: Japan Open prize money & ranking points won by Alcaraz, Fritz, Ruud, Brooksby & co revealed

    The post What Carlos Alcaraz’s Shanghai Masters withdrawal means for Jannik Sinner amid world No 1 battle appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Japan Open prize money & ranking points won by Alcaraz, Fritz, Ruud, Brooksby & co revealed

    Carlos Alcaraz’s dominance on the ATP Tour in 2025 continued with the Spaniard triumphing at the Japan Open on his tournament debut, defeating former champion Taylor Fritz in the final.

    It was a dramatic week of action inside Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum, with plenty of big names out early on, though it was the top two seeds that ultimately made the final — and who will be well-rewarded for their efforts.

    With the dust beginning to settle on action at the ATP 500 event, we look at what prize money and ranking points Alcaraz, Fritz and the tournament’s other biggest names all received for their efforts inside the Japanese capital.

    What prize money was won?

    For lifting the title in Tokyo, Alcaraz takes home an impressive $416,365 in winnings, a notable increase on the $340,010 awarded to 2024 champion Arthur Fils twelve months ago.

    Runner-up Fritz is also well-rewarded for his efforts, receiving $224,035 in prize money after a strong week.

    Fourth seed Casper Ruud, who fell to Alcaraz, and Jenson Brooksby, who was beaten by Fritz, also received strong money for reaching the last four, the Norwegian and American both earning $119,395.

    2024 semi-finalist and third seed Holger Rune was beaten by a resurgent Brooksby on Sunday, the Dane falling in at the quarter-final stage.

    Rune and fellow beaten quarter-finalists Brandon Nakashima, Sebastian Korda, and Aleksandar Vukic all take home $61,000.

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    Players who reached round two earn themselves $32,560, while players who were beaten in round one will receive $17,365 in earnings.

    Among the players who fell in round one are fifth seed Tomas Machac, sixth seed and 2024 finalist Ugo Humbert, seventh seed Denis Shapovalov, and eighth seed Frances Tiafoe.

    Champion: $416,365
    Runner-up: $224,035
    Semi-finalists: $119,395
    Quarter-finalists: $61,000
    Round 2: $32,560
    Round 1: $17,365

    What ranking points were won?

    For lifting the title, Alcaraz earns an impressive 500 ATP Ranking points.

    That means the Spaniard matches the 500 points that he secured for triumphing at the China Open in 2024, and will remain on 11,540 points in the ATP Rankings.

    Meanwhile, for their runner-up finish, Fritz takes home 330 points from Tokyo.

    His run pushes him up to 4,995 points in the ATP Rankings, and he will move back above Novak Djokovic to world No 4 when the rankings update.

    For reaching the last four of the tournament, beaten semi-finalists Ruud and Brooksby take home 200 ranking points.

    Ruud is set to stay at 12th in the ATP Rankings, but his hopes of ATP Finals qualification have been boosted, with the Norwegian up two places to 11th in the race.

    After his hugely impressive run, Brooskby is currently projected to rise a staggering 29 places to world No 57 when the ATP Rankings update.

    Beaten quarter-finalists Rune, Nakashima, Korda and Vukic all earn 100 ranking points, with third seed Rune dropping 100 points after reaching the last four in 2024.

    Players who fell in the second round take home 50 ranking points, while players beaten in the opening round — including Machac, Humbert, Shapovalov, and Tiafoe — are left with zero ranking points for the tournament.

    Champion: 500 points
    Runner-up: 330 points
    Semi-finalists: 200 points
    Quarter-finalists: 100 points
    Round 2: 50 points
    Round 1: 0 points

    Read Next: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner again; Novak Djokovic to star – our Shanghai Masters predictions

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  • WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz blasts umpire after getting code violation at Japan Open

    Carlos Alcaraz was not happy with the umpire during his 2025 Japan Open final showdown with Taylor Fritz as he declared “you haven’t played tennis in your life” to the official.

    The incident came in the opening set when chair umpire Fergus Murphy gave Alcaraz a time violation as the six-time Grand Slam champion prepared to serve.

    Alcaraz could not understand why Murphy started the shot clock so swiftly after a point where he finished at the net as he argued he needed more time to return to the back of the court to ask for the balls to serve.

    The world No 1 said: “Do you think this is normal? Is this normal or not? I’m asking a question, is it normal or not?

    “I finish a point at the net, I’m a little bit tired about the point, and I can’t go to ask for the balls. Do you think this is normal or not?

    “You haven’t played tennis in your life, come on. You never played tennis in your life. You never played tennis because you said this is normal.”

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    Alcaraz, who was competing in his ninth consecutive final, went on to prevail 6-4, 6-4 against world No 5 Fritz to secure his maiden Japan Open title in his debut at the Tokyo ATP 500 event.

    With his triumph, Alcaraz avenged his defeat to Fritz at the Laver Cup earlier this month and improved his head-to-head record against the American to 4-1 (4-0 excluding Laver Cup).

    A rare show of frustration for Alcaraz

    It is seldom that Alcaraz argues with officials, although he did have a dispute with chair umpire Greg Allensworth at the Cincinnati Open in August.

    That incident was sparked by Alcaraz being asked to cover the Evian logo on his water bottle when Allensworth told him mid-match that sponsor logos must be covered.

    Alcaraz, who is sponsored by Evian, refused to cover the logo.

    READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz gets ‘miracle’ verdict as he is compared to Rafael Nadal by Spanish legend

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  • ‘Novak Djokovic isn’t here anymore – something broke the motivation’

    Renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou has proclaimed that something “broke” the motivation of Novak Djokovic and suggested that the end of the Serbian’s career could be close.

    Djokovic is the current world No 4, but he is widely considered to still be the third best player on the ATP Tour after the dominant Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

    The 38-year-old fell at the semi-final stage at all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2025. He won his 24th and most recent major at the 2023 US Open.

    Since Djokovic won the ATP Finals at the end of an outstanding 2023 campaign, he has won only two tournaments: the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 Geneva Open (his 100th singles title).

    In a video posted on his Instagram account, Mouratoglou declared that Djokovic is “not here anymore.”

    “He (Djokovic) achieved everything,” said the Frenchman, who has coached Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

    “So I feel that something broke the motivation, the drive that made him as the greatest of all time.

    “He’s not here anymore. How long is he going to stay in that position? I don’t think long.

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    “I think he still likes to be there because I think he probably wants to find a great connection with the fans, which he starts to have.

    “It was difficult while Rafa and Roger were at the top, because they had such a strong connection that it was depriving him from having that position and that connection.

    “Definitely the drive doesn’t look like what it was before. It’s a different drive, but it’s not a drive that brings the results that he could have before, and it makes sense, and I understand, but he’s not producing the results he used to have.”

    Mouratoglou recently claimed that Djokovic’s loss of belief is a bigger problem than his aging body.

    “The real issue is not whether his body is weaker, but that he seems to believe it. And that belief is new,” said Mouratoglou.

    “Earlier in his career, when he was behind Federer and Nadal, he always said: “I will find a way, I will be better.”

    “Now, he says the door is closed. That shift is massive. Novak’s greatest strength was his unbreakable belief. If that inner conviction is gone, the body follows.”

    READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic ‘has no thoughts of retiring and will play in 2026 and 2027’, says leading coach

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  • Emma Raducanu’s biggest problem exposed again – but the agony could have a twist very soon

    The inevitability of defeat appeared to take the wind out of Emma Raducanu’s sails long before Jessica Pegula inflicted the finishing blows to what was a brutal defeat at the China Open, but the British No 1 needs to find the silver linings in this latest near miss.

    For a second week in a row, Raducanu failed to convert three match points in a high-quality second set tie-break before collapsing in alarming fashion in the decisive set to lose 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-0.

    This was almost the same script as her match against Barbora Krejcikova in Seoul last week, as she missed out on three match points before surrendering in disappointing fashion in the third set and it is a pattern that needs to be halted quickly.

    As is often the case with a Raducanu match, there are several layers that need to be unpicked… with positive and some negative takeaways fused in a frustrating package.

    Let’s start with the positives and there were so many in a performance that may have been one of Raducanu’s best for the first two sets.

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    The baseline exchanges she shared with Pegula were laced with quality, as the pair traded blows in extended baseline rallies that confirmed the Brit is playing at a level to compete with top 10 rivals.

    Raducanu came out on top in more than her fair share of the lengthy exchanges and the biggest improvement in her game was her punchy serve.

    He Spanish coach Francisco Roig has clearly been working on her service motion and it appeared that she was also experimenting with racket tensions, as she changed rackets for serving and returning games in the second set.

    Her eagerness to attack Pegula’s second serve was in evident on the first of her match points, as she crunched a backhand that needed a stunning shot from Pegula to keep her in the match.

    In truth, Raducanu could not have done too much more in a top quality tie-break, but she will need to reflect on what came after those match points slipped away and the third set got underway.

    As was the case in the Krejcikova match, Raducanu’s energy levels dropped and after losing the pace and potency on her serve, a rock solid Pegula took advantage to run away with the third set and seal her place in the last-16 in Beijing.

    Raducanu looked a little shell-shocked as she left the court, but the 22-year-old should appreciate that the last couple of defeats on her record are, in fact, steps forward in her story alongside coach Roig.

    The 2021 US Open champion has been blasted off court by some top 10 players in recent months, but she had her chances to beat both Krejcikova and Pegula and she should head to Wuhan for next week’s WTA 1000 event with an upbeat mindset.

    There is no doubt that the pain of this defeat will leave her a little dazed, but she has to believe the steps she has made on her serve and with her ball striking from the back of the court will soon turn these near misses into victories.

    Raducanu has a stated aim of finishing inside the top 32 of the WTA Rankings heading into the first Grand Slam of 2026 at the Australian Open in January.

    Much of her performance against Pegula suggested she is playing tennis at a level that could see her back in the top 10 of the rankings at some point next year, but she needs to convert positive performances into wins to make that a reality.

    READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu misses rankings chance as she suffers painful Jessica Pegula China Open loss

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  • How does Carlos Alcaraz’s 9 straight ATP finals compare to Djokovic, Nadal, Federer & all-time greats?

    It was not the easiest of semi-finals for Carlos Alcaraz, but the Spaniard had enough to fend off Casper Ruud and reach the final of the Japan Open on his tournament debut in Tokyo.

    After three straight-set wins, and an early tournament injury scare, the world No 1 faced the toughest test of his run to date against fourth seed Ruud, though Alcaraz was able to overcome a slow start to battle his way to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

    Alcaraz will face second seed and world No 5 Taylor Fritz in an intriguing final, in what is now the ninth straight tournament that the Spaniard has progressed to the championship match.

    Since losing his opening match at the Miami Open, Alcaraz has reached consecutive finals in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Roland Garros, Queen’s, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, the US Open, and now in Tokyo.

    It is staggering streak for Alcaraz, but where does it rank in ATP history?

    Level with three greats

    Thanks to reaching his ninth consecutive final, Alcaraz has now drawn level with three fellow tennis legends and former world No 1’s in the all-time standings: Rafael Nadal, Ilie Nastase and Jimmy Connors.

    Nadal achieved this in 2013, reaching the final of the first nine finals tournaments he played that season – from the Chile Open to Roland Garros – before his run was snapped by a round-one defeat at Wimbledon.

    Connors’ streak started at the end of 1973 and the beginning of 1974, reaching and winning the Australian Open final, before progressing to the final at eight further events before a semi-final loss in Washington.

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    The season before Connors, Nastase reached nine straight finals from Washington to Queens, winning the French Open during that spell; his streak came to an end with a round of 16 loss at Wimbledon.

    Who can better Alcaraz’s feat?

    In the Open Era, only six men have bettered Alcaraz’s milestone by reaching 10+ consecutive finals on tour, and all of them are legends of the sport.

    Ranking in sixth place is John McEnroe, who reached 11 straight finals across the peak of his powers in the 1983 and 1984 seasons.

    In joint-fourth are tennis legends Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas, who reached 13 straight finals in 1979-80 and 1977, respectively.

    Then, in joint-second place, are Novak Djokovic (2015-16) and Roger Federer (2005-06), who both reached a staggering 17 consecutive finals at the very peak of their dominance.

    However, both of them fell just shy of the Open Era record of Ivan Lendl, who reached 18 straight finals on the ATP Tour across 1981-1982.

    Alcaraz’s run of nine straight finals is extraordinary, but he would have to double that to match the feat of eight-time Grand Slam champion Lendl.

    Most Consecutive Finals reached (Men, Open Era)

    1) Ivan Lendl — 18
    =2) Novak Djokovic — 17
    =2) Roger Federer — 17
    =4) Bjorn Borg — 13
    =4) Guillermo Vilas — 13
    6) John McEnroe — 11
    =7) Ilie Nastase — 9
    =7) Jimmy Connors — 9
    =7) Rafael Nadal — 9
    =7) Carlos Alcaraz — 9

    Read Next: EXCLUSIVE – Carlos Alcaraz ‘can go to another level’ by making one change, says Serena Williams’ ex-coach

    The post How does Carlos Alcaraz’s 9 straight ATP finals compare to Djokovic, Nadal, Federer & all-time greats? appeared first on Tennis365.