Alcaraz defends Tokyo title, becomes first man to go back-to-back since Sampras

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Tuesday evening, according to www.atptour.com.

The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings successfully defended his title at the hard-court ATP 500 event in Tokyo. Per the source, Alcaraz is the first man to go back-to-back in Tokyo since Pete Sampras in 1993-94.

The win is his first tour-level trophy since Doha in February, according to www.atptour.com. Alcaraz needed 96 minutes to close out the final, digging deep after dropping serve in the opening game and later reeling off five consecutive points from 2/4 down in the first-set tie-break.

A HARD-FOUGHT FINAL

Alcaraz’s path to the title was anything but smooth. He dropped serve in the opening game of the final, handing Lehecka an early advantage that the Czech kept pressing throughout the first set.

The Spaniard’s response came at the most critical moment. Down 2/4 in the first-set tie-break, Alcaraz raised his level spectacularly, reeling off five consecutive points to claim the set 7-6(4), according to www.atptour.com.

That burst shifted the match’s momentum. In the second set, Alcaraz’s forehand began firing with increasing authority, and he clinched the only break of the set in the seventh game.

From there, he served out the match without facing serious trouble, closing a 96-minute victory that required patience as much as power. Lehecka kept rallies competitive throughout, but Alcaraz found his best tennis precisely when the points mattered most.

INJURY COMEBACK AND FIRST TROPHY SINCE DOHA

The Tokyo title is Alcaraz's first since Doha in February, per www.atptour.com. Between those trophies sat a wrist injury that kept him off the tour from Barcelona in April until the US Open in late August, according to the source.