Carlos Alcaraz is heading into the Asian swing on a high after a strong American run. He conquered Cincinnati, swept up a second US Open title, and climbed to No. 1 in the ATP rankings. No rest followed his New York triumph, as he went straight into the Laver Cup with Team Europe. Now, the Spaniard turns the page. It’s time for a debut in Japan. Yet, there is a potential roadblock in his way.

Kicking off on Wednesday, September 24, Alcaraz enters the Tokyo Open as the top seed. Fresh from Team Europe’s loss to Team World at the Laver Cup, he’s looking to bounce back with some solo firepower. At the other end of the draw stands his recent conqueror, Taylor Fritz , who arrives as the second seed, while Jannik Sinner shifts focus to the China Open. Still, Alcaraz won’t look too far ahead.

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