Carlos Alcaraz Ties Rafael Nadal’s Miraculous Stat With Japan Open Win As Taylor Fritz Revenge Looms

Tokyo marks another big milestone for Carlos Alcaraz! The Spaniard survived a first-set scare against Casper Ruud in the semifinals before grinding out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at the ATP 500 event. Straight into the finals again. And this after picking up an injury in the opening round when he took a nasty fall and hurt his ankle. He admitted he was “scared,” but that hasn’t stopped him. Now he’s chasing another trophy, but that’s not all. With this win, Alcaraz has checked off another milestone: One that ties him with his idol!

Alcaraz has put together something special in 2025. Since the Monte-Carlo Masters, he’s played his way into nine straight ATP tour-level finals, the latest coming in Tokyo. That streak doesn’t just scream dominance, it puts him in rare company. The only other player to hit that number in the modern era is Rafael Nadal. He pieced together his own nine-final surge in 2013, stretching from Vina Del Mar to Roland Garros.

That’s what makes this run even more exciting. Alcaraz is carving out his place right beside Rafa. Nadal’s 2013 and Alcaraz’s 2025 campaigns (so far) look like mirror images of dominance. Both lifted the Roland-Garros and US Open crowns. Both added Cincinnati. Both pocketed two clay Masters 1000 titles, with Rome included. And both stamped their authority with a streak of nine finals in a row.