Tokyo
Alcaraz races past Nakashima in Tokyo to equal personal-best season win tally
Spaniard sets Ruud clash after notching 65th triumph of 2025, Fritz advances
September 28, 2025
Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz overcomes Brandon Nakashima on Sunday to reach the Tokyo semi-finals.
By Andy West
Carlos Alcaraz maintained his seamless debut campaign at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Sunday, where he eased past Brandon Nakashima to reach the last four.
The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings produced a stunning serving display and plenty of crowd-pleasing moments in a 6-2, 6-4 night-session triumph in Tokyo. Alcaraz powered 25 winners past Nakashima with his forehand alone to march into his ninth consecutive tour-level semi-final. With his Tour-leading 65th match win of the season, the 22-year-old Alcaraz equalled his personal-best tally in a single season (set in 2023).
A forehand from another planet 🚀@carlosalcaraz | @japanopentennis | #kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/wcPkNSnL0d
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 28, 2025
“It’s great to go through, to play another semi-final,” said Alcaraz in his post-match interview. “It’s special because it’s the first time I am playing here in Japan and here in Tokyo, so to reach the semi-finals in my first appearance is something great.”
Even after some of the sublime shotmaking Alcaraz produced in a classy opening-set performance, the Spaniard arguably saved his best for last inside Ariake Coliseum. Having let slip three match points on return at 5-3 in the second set, he reeled off four consecutive winners in the next game to wrap his win with a flourish.
“I always say that closing a match is difficult. Even tougher when you had match points, like I did when I was returning,” said Alcaraz. “Losing that game, I thought it was going to be really difficult, but I just tried to maintain my focus and play some great points in the last game. I don’t think I’ve played a last game like this, so I’m really happy about it.”
Watch: Alcaraz’s Four Consecutive Winners To Wrap Tokyo QF Win:
Now 50-3 since April, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Alcaraz will take on Casper Ruud for a spot in the championship match. The fourth-seeded Norwegian earlier raced to a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Aleksandar Vukic.
“Probably [it’s the best period of my career]. I’m just feeling great on court, every time I step on the court,” said Alcaraz. “I just think I can do everything. 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.
“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 the focus during the match.”
Alcaraz leads Ruud 4-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with one of those victories coming in the 2022 US Open final. Yet the Norwegian triumphed in straight sets in the pair’s most recent meeting, at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, and he produced a commanding quarter-final win of his own in Tokyo, where he needed just 58 minutes to sink qualifier Vukic.
In the bottom half of the draw, Taylor Fritz and Jenson Brooksby will contest an all-American semi-final. The second-seeded Fritz edged Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3. The champion in Tokyo in 2022, Fritz moved one spot above Novak Djokovic to fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin by defeating Korda.
The World No. 86 Brooksby notched a 6-3, 6-3 upset of third seed Holger Rune to seal his semi-final spot. With victory in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash against Rune, the 24-year-old Brooksby improved to 9-1 in ATP Tour quarter-finals.
