Six-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz made it through his ninth straight tour-level semifinal since Monte-Carlo after notching a 6-2, 6-4 win over world No. 33 Brandon Nakashima in 80 minutes.
“It’s great to go through, to play another semifinal,” commented Alcaraz in his on-court interview. “It’s special because it’s the first time I am playing here in Japan and here in Tokyo, so to reach the semifinals in my first appearance is something great.”
Next, he will meet fourth seed Casper Ruud for a place in the final.
On Saturday, the Norwegian achieved a new career milestone, becoming the first player from his country to advance to the last four at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Champions, held in Tokyo.
Playing in the Ariake Coliseum, the 26-year-old cruised past Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 6-2 to step into uncharted territory at the ATP 500 event.
The other semifinal will feature an all-American duel between second seed Taylor Fritz and in-form Jenson Brooksby.
Alcaraz Elevates the Game in Japan
Despite experiencing an ankle scare during his opening match last Thursday, Alcaraz took down Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-2 to launch his campaign on Japanese soil.
From there, he moved forward to record emphatic performances over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs and Nakashima in the last eight.
The Spaniard, who earlier this month claimed his second title at the US Open, reclaiming the top of the Rankings in the process, is not just at his best, but he has found a way to go beyond, elevating the game to a level of his own.
Speaking on the subject, he outlined: “Probably [it’s the best period of my career]. I’m just feeling great on court, every time I step on the court. I just think I can do everything.”
The 22-year-old’s shot quality during the match against the in-form American player was as clinical as impressive, surpassing the average numbers to stay close to perfection (9.7 on the forehand and 9.5 on the backhand), and without facing a break point all match.
“I’m approaching the end of the season with a lot of confidence, and these kinds of matches, this kind of level, helps a lot to keep the confidence high,” added the Spaniard.
Following a consistent, solid showing where his natural abilities generated jaw-dropping moments, he neutralized his opponent, covering every angle, courtesy of his superb athleticism on full display today.
In addition, he finished with 39 winners against 18 unforced errors, winning 83 percent of the points on his first serve, without facing a break point all match.
With his 65th match win of the season, Alcaraz matched his best tally accomplished in 2023, one he is willing to extend as the season is far from over and the Shanghai Rolex Masters is knocking on the door.
I’m just trying to set up goals before matches, before tournaments, and trying to follow those goals. I think that helps me a lot to play great tennis and maintain focus during the match.”