2026 ATP Japan Open Final Results: Alcaraz Goes Back-to-Back in Tokyo

Carlos Alcaraz completed a successful title defence at the 2026 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, defeating Jiri Lehecka 7–6(4), 6–4 in Tuesday’s final at Ariake Coliseum.

The 23-year-old Spaniard needed 1 hour and 36 minutes to overcome the Czech and secure his first tour-level title since Doha in February. It was Alcaraz’s third title of the 2026 season and 27th ATP Tour singles title overall.

The ATP 500 tournament was played from September 30 to October 6 on outdoor hard courts at Ariake Coliseum and Ariake Tennis Forest Park in Tokyo. The 2026 edition offered $2,342,275 in total prize money, with 32 players in singles and 16 teams in doubles.

2026 ATP Japan Open Final Results

Event	Champions	Runners-up	Final Score
Men’s Singles	Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)	Jiri Lehecka (CZE)	7–6(4), 6–4
Men’s Doubles	Austin Krajicek (USA) / Nikola Mektic (CRO)	Theo Arribage (FRA) / Albano Olivetti (FRA)	7–6(5), 5–7, [10–6]

Alcaraz Defends His Tokyo Title

Lehecka made it clear from the opening game that Alcaraz would not have an easy championship match.

The Czech immediately earned three break points and converted the third to take an early lead. But Alcaraz remained patient and recovered the break in the sixth game, finishing the point with a clean backhand winner.

Neither player could create another decisive advantage, sending the opening set into a tie-break.

Lehecka moved ahead 4–2, but that proved to be the turning point.

Alcaraz suddenly raised his level and won five consecutive points, taking the tie-break 7–4 and securing the opening set.

The Spaniard carried that momentum into the second set. His forehand became increasingly influential, and he finally made the decisive breakthrough in the seventh game.

That single break was enough.

Alcaraz protected his serve for the remainder of the match and completed a 7–6(4), 6–4 victory in 96 minutes.

First Back-to-Back Tokyo Champion Since Sampras

The victory placed Alcaraz alongside some of the biggest names in Japan Open history.

He became only the third man to successfully defend the Tokyo singles championship.

Stefan Edberg won three consecutive titles from 1989 to 1991, while Pete Sampras won back-to-back crowns in 1993 and 1994.

Alcaraz is therefore the first player in 32 years to win consecutive Japan Open singles titles.

His Tokyo record now stands at a perfect 10–0 across his first two appearances.

He also extended an impressive run at ATP 500 level. Since losing to Holger Rune in the 2025 Barcelona final, Alcaraz has won 21 consecutive ATP 500 matches.

The Japan Open trophy was also his 10th ATP 500 title.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Road to the 2026 Japan Open Title

Alcaraz’s route to the trophy was far from straightforward.

He needed three sets in both his first-round match against Alex Michelsen and semifinal against Jaume Munar, while Denis Shapovalov pushed him hard before retiring during their quarterfinal.

Round	Opponent	Result
First Round	Alex Michelsen (USA)	7–6(1), 4–6, 6–1
Second Round	Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)	7–6(6), 6–1
Quarterfinal	Denis Shapovalov (CAN)	7–6(3), 2–1 ret.
Semifinal	Jaume Munar (ESP)	5–7, 6–3, 6–1
Final	Jiri Lehecka (CZE)	7–6(4), 6–4

His opening match against Michelsen immediately tested his match fitness.

Alcaraz had recently returned from a long wrist-injury layoff and was also adjusting to Tokyo’s outdoor conditions after limited practice because of rain. He eventually came through 7–6(1), 4–6, 6–1.

The second round brought another major test.

Matteo Arnaldi led 6–2 in the first-set tie-break, giving the Italian four consecutive set points. Alcaraz responded by winning six straight points to steal the set before racing through the second for a 7–6(6), 6–1 victory.

Alcaraz then faced Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals. The Canadian again pushed him into a first-set tie-break, which Alcaraz won 7–3. Shapovalov later suffered a leg problem and retired with Alcaraz leading 7–6(3), 2–1.

Alcaraz Comes Back Against Munar in Semifinal

Perhaps Alcaraz’s biggest test came one round before the final.

Qualifier Jaume Munar recovered from 3–5 down in the opening set and won 16 consecutive points during a remarkable stretch to take the set 7–5.

Alcaraz, however, completely changed the match.

He became more aggressive during the second set, won it 6–3 and then overwhelmed his fellow Spaniard in the deciding set.

The defending champion completed a 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 comeback after 2 hours and 33 minutes to reach his second consecutive Tokyo final.

That victory set up his first championship meeting with Lehecka.

Alcaraz Gets Revenge for Doha Defeat

Lehecka knew he could beat Alcaraz.

The Czech had defeated the Spaniard in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha, one of his biggest wins against an elite opponent.

Alcaraz nevertheless held the advantage in their overall rivalry heading into Tokyo.

Tuesday’s result further strengthened that record, while giving the Spaniard another major hard-court trophy.

For Lehecka, the runner-up finish capped an excellent week. He defeated Ugo Humbert before dominating qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6–1, 6–1 in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Lehecka produced another commanding performance to defeat eighth seed Valentin Vacherot 6–4, 6–2 in only 69 minutes, reaching the first ATP 500 final of his career.

Third Title of 2026 for Alcaraz

Tokyo continued Alcaraz’s comeback from a difficult middle part of the season.

He started 2026 by completing the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open and then won the ATP 500 title in Doha.

A wrist injury subsequently kept him away from competition for almost five months before he returned at the US Open in late August. He reached the quarterfinals in New York before helping Team Europe win the Laver Cup in London.

Tokyo was only his second ATP Tour event since returning from injury.

Yet he leaves Japan with another trophy:

Australian Open — Champion
Doha — Champion
Tokyo — Champion

And after losing his Monte-Carlo final to Jannik Sinner earlier in the year, Alcaraz now owns three titles from four finals in 2026.

Krajicek and Mektic Win the Doubles Title

The doubles championship went to fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Nikola Mektic, who defeated second seeds Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti 7–6(5), 5–7, [10–6].

The title was especially impressive because Krajicek and Mektic repeatedly delivered under pressure throughout the week.

They won all seven tie-breaks they played in Tokyo, including Match Tie-breaks.

Their tournament nearly ended in the opening round, when they had to save a match point against Petr Nouza and Michael Venus.

Krajicek and Mektic survived that challenge and eventually reached the semifinals, where they eliminated top seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

They then edged Arribage and Olivetti in a Match Tie-break to secure their second title together in 2026, following their earlier triumph in Delray Beach.

The victory also strengthened their late push toward qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals.

After winning Tokyo, Krajicek and Mektic moved to 12th in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings with 2,730 points.

Seven Tie-Breaks, Seven Wins

Krajicek and Mektic’s ability to survive close situations became the defining feature of their championship run.

In the final, Arribage and Olivetti pushed the first set into another tie-break, but the fourth seeds won it 7–5.

The French pair responded by taking the second set 7–5.

That forced a Match Tie-break, where Krajicek and Mektic again delivered when it mattered most, winning 10–6.

It marked their first Japan Open title as a team.

Both players are also former World No. 1s in doubles. They initially played together in Paris in 2018 before reuniting in Tokyo during the 2025 season.

Defending Doubles Champions Exit in Quarterfinals

The 2025 doubles champions Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin returned to defend their title.

They opened with a straight-sets victory over qualifiers David Stevenson and Marcus Willis but could not repeat last year’s championship run.

Nys and Roger-Vasselin were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Rinky Hijikata and Kaito Uesugi.

That ensured Tokyo would crown a new doubles championship team.

Kei Nishikori Plays Final Professional Match

The 2026 Japan Open was also the setting for the final match of one of Japanese tennis’ greatest careers.

Kei Nishikori faced Frances Tiafoe in the first round and lost 6–4, 6–4, bringing his professional playing career to an end in front of his home crowd at Ariake Coliseum.

Nishikori retired with 12 ATP Tour singles titles and a career-high ranking of World No. 4.

He became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final when he finished runner-up at the 2014 US Open, and he won an Olympic bronze medal at Rio 2016.

Tokyo also held special importance throughout his career.

Nishikori won the Japan Open twice, in 2012 and 2014, and also reached the final in 2018.

Following his last match, tournament organisers held a farewell ceremony that included video messages from fellow players as the Tokyo crowd celebrated his career.

2026 ATP Japan Open Prize Money and Ranking Points

The Japan Open offered $2,342,275 in total prize money in 2026.

Alcaraz earned $437,955 and 500 ATP ranking points for successfully defending his singles championship, while Lehecka received $235,685 and 330 points as runner-up.

Result	Prize Money	ATP Points
Singles Champion – Carlos Alcaraz	$437,955	500
Singles Runner-up – Jiri Lehecka	$235,685	330
Singles Semifinalist	$125,605	200
Singles Quarterfinalist	$64,170	100
Doubles Champions – Krajicek / Mektic	$143,880 per team	500
Doubles Runners-up – Arribage / Olivetti	$76,730 per team	300

The winning doubles team shared $143,880, while the runners-up received $76,730.

2026 ATP Japan Open Champions

Singles Champion: Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
Runner-up: Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
Final: 7–6(4), 6–4

Doubles Champions: Austin Krajicek (USA) / Nikola Mektic (CRO)
Runners-up: Theo Arribage (FRA) / Albano Olivetti (FRA)
Final: 7–6(5), 5–7, [10–6]

For Alcaraz, Tokyo represented much more than another trophy. After a season interrupted by a lengthy wrist injury, he returned to a tournament he won in 2025 and successfully defended his crown, becoming the first back-to-back Japan Open singles champion since Pete Sampras more than three decades earlier.

The victory gave Alcaraz his 27th ATP Tour title, third title of 2026 and 10th ATP 500 crown, while extending his perfect record in Tokyo to two titles from two appearances.