Carlos Alcaraz overcame another sluggish start Tuesday to defeat Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the Japan Open final, successfully defending his Tokyo title and adding another milestone to his return from a lengthy wrist injury layoff.
The victory gave the third-ranked Spaniard his third title of the season and his 27th career trophy. It also marked his first championship since winning the Qatar Open in February and strengthened his comeback just two tournaments after returning to competition.
Alcaraz, 23, became the first man to win consecutive Japan Open titles since American Pete Sampras in 1993 and 1994.
"It’s been a while and obviously it’s extra special after my injury and my comeback, in the second tournament that I’m playing," Alcaraz said. "It was a really tough week and I didn’t play my best tennis and my best level, but I did find good solutions and that’s what matters in the end."
The final followed a familiar pattern for Alcaraz in Tokyo. He dropped serve in the opening game but quickly settled, increasing the pace and intensity of his game before breaking Lehecka with a blistering backhand to level the first set at 3-3.
Lehecka, ranked 19th in the world, remained competitive and took a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker. But Alcaraz responded by winning five consecutive points, producing some of his best tennis of the match when the pressure was highest.
He dug out a difficult ball at his feet after a net cord from Lehecka, hammered a powerful forehand return and then produced a perfectly timed forehand drop shot for a winner. Two backhand errors from Lehecka handed Alcaraz the set.
The Spaniard carried that momentum into the second set and finally created separation when he broke Lehecka for a 4-3 lead. He then closed out the championship at love on his first opportunity, forcing an error on match point before celebrating with his team courtside.
"I would say today was the best match of the week," Alcaraz said.
That assessment came after a tournament in which he often had to find ways to win without producing his best tennis. In his semifinal against qualifier Jaume Munar, Alcaraz dropped the opening set during a stretch in which he lost 16 consecutive points.
Lehecka arrived at the final in strong form, having won six straight matches. The Czech had helped his country defeat the United States in Davis Cup qualifying, winning both of his singles matches, before advancing through his first four matches in Tokyo.
But Alcaraz proved too difficult to overcome when the key points arrived.
The title also provided a significant psychological boost after a difficult period away from the sport. Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon while recovering from a right wrist injury that kept him out for nearly five months. He returned at the U.S. Open in late August and reached the quarterfinals, where he lost to Ben Shelton in a match that finished at 3:33 a.m.
Since returning, Alcaraz has continued to wear a compression sleeve on his right arm, but his latest title offered further evidence that his confidence and physical condition are returning.
He acknowledged that the injury layoff brought plenty of uncertainty.
"A lot of negative thoughts come to your mind," Alcaraz said. "If you’re going to come back healthy, if you’re going to come back the same as you were before, if I will be able to hit the ball normally without pain."
Alcaraz said he and his team focused on putting those doubts aside and trusting his recovery.
"My team and I knew that if I come back, I’m going to be healthy 100%. If I feel something, it’s not going to be anything at all. So I have to go full to every shot, every ball," he said. "I trusted myself and it worked out."
