Carlos Alcaraz has won his first title since returning from a four-month injury layoff, defeating Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in the Japan Open final in Tokyo.
The world number three and defending champion was pushed hard by the 19th-ranked Lehecka before securing his first trophy since winning the Qatar Open in February.
The victory marked Alcaraz’s third tournament since returning from a wrist injury. He previously reached the quarter-finals of the US Open and competed at the Laver Cup.
Alcaraz admitted he had faced doubts during his recovery but said he remained confident about returning to full fitness.
“A lot of negative thoughts come to your mind: if you’re going to come back healthy, if you’re going to be the same as I was before,” he said.
He added that his team remained confident he would return fully fit.
The Japan Open title is Alcaraz’s third of the year, following his Australian Open triumph, and the 27th title of his career.
The Spaniard had to recover from an early setback in the final after Lehecka broke his serve in the opening game. Alcaraz responded by breaking back midway through the first set before edging the Czech player in a tense tiebreak.
Lehecka continued to challenge the defending champion in the second set, but Alcaraz secured a crucial break midway through and held his nerve to close out the match.
Alcaraz entered the final with a 3-1 career record against Lehecka, who was seeking his first title of the year.
His victory came on the same day world number one Jannik Sinner announced that he was ending his season early because of a persistent knee injury.
Alcaraz is scheduled to compete at the Shanghai Masters, which begins on Wednesday.
The Spaniard withdrew from last year’s Shanghai tournament after winning in Tokyo, citing physical issues and criticising the demanding tennis calendar.
