Carlos Alcaraz continued his rise in tennis history with another milestone victory. The 22-year-old Spaniard defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets to win the ATP 500 title in Tokyo, capturing the 24th championship of his career. With the triumph, Alcaraz passed Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the youngest player to reach that mark—but still trails Rafael Nadal.
The win also secured Alcaraz’s eighth title of the season, a testament to his dominance throughout 2025. Yet his spot near the top of the rankings is under threat. With Alcaraz sidelined by an ankle issue, Jannik Sinner could overtake him in the ATP standings if the Italian wins the Masters 1000 in Shanghai and follows up with a strong run in Vienna.
At 22 years and 148 days old, Alcaraz has now won 24 career titles. Federer reached that number at 23 years, 196 days, while Djokovic didn’t get there until 23 years, 352 days. Nadal, however, remains ahead of them all, hitting 24 titles at just 21 years, 328 days.
Alcaraz reflects on Tokyo triumph
Despite injuring his ankle during the week in Japan, Alcaraz praised both his resilience and the support he received on the way to the title. “I enjoyed every moment here… except for the five minutes I was on the ground when I twisted my ankle. Everyone around me has helped me get to where I am today. I didn’t start too well, but I’m really happy with the level I showed,” Alcaraz said during his on-court interview.
“Without a doubt, this is the best season of my career. Eight titles, ten finals—it all shows how hard I’ve worked since the start of the year. It was a pleasure playing here in front of Japanese fans. That’s what I’ll take away from this, beyond being proud of my level. I played great matches, I came back strong after the injury… I hope this isn’t my last time here,” he added.
What’s next for Alcaraz?
The ATP calendar now shifts to the Shanghai Masters, where Alcaraz was expected to compete but ultimately withdrew due to his ankle issue—giving Sinner a clearer path toward the No. 1 ranking.
“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 explained in a video message. “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”.
Barring a quicker-than-expected recovery, Alcaraz is next expected to return at the 6 Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh (October 15–18). The event will feature a star-studded lineup including Djokovic, Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.