Alcaraz recovers from a set down against Munar to set up Tokyo final with Lehecka

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz lost the first set and struggled through half of the second before taking control. He beat fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar, a qualifier, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 on Monday night to reach the final of the Tokyo ATP 500.

The defending champion is into the Tokyo final for the second year in a row. It is his first final since he missed five months through injury, and his first since Monte-Carlo in April.

The world No. 3 has now won all eight of his matches at the event and is 20-0 at ATP 500 level since losing to Holger Rune in last year’s Barcelona final. This is his 36th Tour-level final, which moves him past Sergi Bruguera into fifth place among Spanish men in the Open Era.

Alcaraz started well and had the upper hand until 5-4 in the first set. A lapse at the end of that set let Munar take it, and the match grew longer. His level only rose midway through the second set, when he chose to play more aggressively. From there, his forehand was unstoppable when he needed it.

I don’t even know what happened between the first set and half of the second, my level of play dropped significantly.

“Overall, I didn’t play well. I got off to a good start up until 5-4. But I don’t even know what happened between the first set and half of the second, my level of play dropped significantly. My serve, my baseline play, everything,” Alcaraz said. “Even so, I tried to keep fighting and do whatever I could. Then I tried changing my approach. When I started playing more aggressively, it worked out well. That gave me confidence, and I was able to play better until the end of the match.”

The Spaniard now leads Munar 4-1 in their head-to-head and has won 16 straight matches against fellow Spaniards since 2022. He had reached the semifinals with wins over Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 7-6 (3), 2-1 ret., Italian Matteo Arnaldi, 7-6 (6), 6-1, and American Alex Michelsen, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-1. Munar, ranked No. 64, had beaten Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet 6-4, 6-2, Portuguese lucky loser Jaime Faria 6-1, 6-1 and American Taylor Fritz, the No. 3 seed, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3.

Alcaraz will face Czech Jiri Lehecka, who beat Monégasque Valentin Vacherot, the No. 8 seed, 6-4, 6-2. The world No. 23 reached his eighth Tour-level final and his second of the season, after Miami. He is the first Czech man in the Tokyo final since Tomas Berdych in 2008. His winning run now stands at six matches, including Davis Cup wins over Ben Shelton and Learner Tien. The result is also set to lift him to No. 15 and make him Czech No. 1 again.

Alcaraz leads Lehecka 3-1 in their head-to-head. The Czech’s only win came in the Doha quarterfinals in 2025, by 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.