Alcaraz Beats Shapovalov To Reach Tokyo Semis

 TOKYO — Top seed Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Japan Open after Canada's Denis Shapovalov was forced to retire due to injury during their quarterfinal clash.

Alcaraz was leading 7–6(3), 2–1 at the Ariake Coliseum when Shapovalov called for the trainer and ultimately conceded the match.

Wild First Set & Injury Twist

The opening set featured high-octane shotmaking with six breaks of serve between both players. Shapovalov pushed Alcaraz to his limits, converting three break points, but the Spaniard locked in during the tiebreak to take it 7–3.

After Alcaraz secured an early break in the second set, Shapovalov was unable to continue, handing the World No. 1 contender a spot in the final four.

Match Statistics

Stat Line	Carlos Alcaraz	Denis Shapovalov
Scoreline	7–6(3), 2–1 (Ret.)	6–7(3), 1–2
First Serve %	67%	59%
Break Points Converted	3/7	3/4
Total Points Won	53	44

My Analysis

The Takeaway: While an unfortunate end for Shapovalov, Alcaraz once again proved his clutch tiebreak performance under pressure. Moving into the semifinals in Tokyo keeps his title defense on track as he prepares for a deep run into the Asian hard-court swing.