Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semi-finals of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo on 4 October 2026 after opponent Denis Shapovalov was forced to retire through injury early in the second set of their quarter-final. The top seed was leading 7-6(3), 2-1 when the Canadian called time on his challenge after 82 minutes of play.

A Volatile Opening Set

The first set was an unusually turbulent affair, featuring six breaks of serve. Shapovalov took a 5-3 lead and held a set point at 5-4, 30/40, only for Alcaraz to produce a precise drop shot to keep himself in the match. The Spaniard, who dropped serve three times in the opening set, levelled immediately after Shapovalov failed to consolidate his advantage.

Alcaraz then had an opportunity to close out the set serving at 6-5, but Shapovalov broke back without conceding a single point. The Canadian's resistance, however, evaporated in the tie-break, where Alcaraz strung together the decisive run to claim the set 7-6(3).

What Alcaraz Said

'It was a little bit frustrating with my serve. I couldn't find a good way of serving: I was struggling almost every game on serve,' Alcaraz acknowledged. 'But I'm just happy with the way I came back after every break. It was a great first set: Great points, great rallies.'

On Shapovalov's retirement, Alcaraz was candid: 'It's a shame that he had to pull out. Going through to a semi-final like this is not the way I wanted, but sometimes sports are tough. You have to accept it. Hopefully he's going to be able to play in Shanghai healthy.'

Shapovalov's Hip Injury

The match turned on a moment in the opening game of the second set, when Shapovalov appeared to hurt his hip while stretching for a forehand on the run. The former World No. 10 took an off-court medical timeout after that game but was unable to continue upon returning to the court, handing Alcaraz a walkover into the last four.

Alcaraz's Tokyo Record and Semi-Final Opponent

The victory extends Alcaraz's unbeaten run at the Tokyo ATP 500 event to eight consecutive matches. The 23-year-old Spaniard captured the title on his tournament debut in 2025 and remains the defending champion. He holds a 3-1 ATP head-to-head record against his semi-final opponent Jaume Munar, who reached the last four with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win over Kyrian Jacquet.

Munar, who entered the tournament as a qualifier, has already claimed a notable scalp — a first-round win over third seed Taylor Fritz. The Tokyo run is his eighth ATP Tour semi-final appearance and his first since Basel last October. It has also lifted him 15 places to No. 49 in the ATP Live Rankings, adding further stakes to what is already the biggest match of his campaign.

With Alcaraz's dominance at this venue and Munar riding a qualifier's momentum, Sunday's semi-final promises to be one of the week's more compelling contests.