Carlos Alcaraz survives Ruud scare to book 10th final of the season in Japan Open

Carlos Alcaraz salvaged a hard-fought victory against Casper Ruud, recovering from a set down to keep his winning streak alive and reach the Japan Open semifinals. The World No. 1 holds 18 wins in his last 19 appearances—falling only to Taylor Fritz in the Laver Cup since the start of the hardcourt swing.

The Spaniard continues to perform at a high level in Asia, though for the first time in the tournament, he dropped a set against the Norwegian World No. 12. The six-time Major champion reaches his 10th final of the season and will seek his 8th title in 2025, facing the second seed, Taylor Fritz, who advanced after winning the all-American semifinal against Jenson Brooksby.

Ruud strikes first as Alcaraz struggles to convert break points

Alcaraz faced a tough challenge in the quarterfinals against a Ruud who stood his ground in the first set. The Norwegian had saved several break points to hold his serve and seized his first chance to take the lead in the eighth game. The former World No. 2 took the last three games of the set consecutively, after landing 74% of his first serves and winning 65% of those points.

The Spaniard, on the other hand, had failed to capitalize on his four break points and felt the pressure on the only point of pressure he faced on his own serve. Ruud claimed the set 6-3 and began to raise doubts about how the Spaniard would respond.

World No. 1 Responds: Alcaraz elevates serve for a dominant second set

The World No. 1 showcased his class in the second set by quickly taking the lead. Alcaraz started the set by saving a break point against him and then secured his first break of the match, going up 3-0. After a complicated first game, Alcaraz won 16 of the next 17 points on his serve, and with no further breaks, that was enough to take the set.

It was evident how the Spaniard elevated his serving numbers: a total of 9 aces and just 5 points conceded on his serve, summarized by an 84% service points won to take the set 6-3.

Alcaraz closes the door: Decisive break seals 10th final of the year

The third set began level with both players holding strong service games, though this time Ruud once again started generating break chances. Alcaraz managed to escape the pressure with solid first serves and was the first to save a pair of break points against him.

However, towards the middle of the set came moments of weakness from Ruud, which provided several opportunities for his opponent, and Alcaraz took the lead with the decisive break. The World No. 1 held onto his serve for the rest of the match and ultimately sealed the victory 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 10 minutes. "Carlitos" extends his H2H against Ruud to 5-1 and advances to his 10th final of the season.

The World No. 1 continues an impeccable season, reaching 66 wins with 7 titles so far. Alcaraz's streak is flawless, with 9 consecutive finals in 2025 and having won 42 of his last 44 matches. One of those two defeats was precisely against Fritz in the Laver Cup, his opponent for Tuesday's final.

Match Statistics Alcaraz vs. Ruud