The defending champion is in the finals in Tokyo for the second year in a row. It is his first final since missing five months with 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 the ATP 500 level after losing to Holger Rooney in last year’s Barcelona final. It’s his 36th Tour final, moving him behind Sergi Bruguera for fifth place among Spanish men in the Open Era.
Alcaraz got off to a good start and was up 5-4 in the first set. A break late in that set allowed Munnar to take it and the match went longer. His level only rose in the second set when he decided to play more aggressively. From there, her forehand was unstoppable when they needed it.
I don’t even know what happened from the first set to the second half, my level of play dropped significantly.
“Overall, I didn’t play well. I got off to a good start to 5-4. But I don’t even know what happened from the first set to the second half, my level of play dropped significantly. My serve, my ground game, everything,” Alcaraz said. “However, I tried to keep fighting and do what I could. Then I tried to change my approach. When I started playing more aggressively, it worked out well. It gave me confidence and I was able to play better until the end of the match.”
The Spaniard now leads Munnar 4-1 and has won 16 consecutive games against the Spaniard since 2022. 4-6, 6-1. Munnar, ranked 64th, defeated France’s Cyrian Jacquet 6-4, 6-2, lucky loser Jaime Faria of Portugal 6-1, 6-1 and American Taylor Fritz, number 3, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3.
Alcaraz will face the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehetska, who beat Monegasque Valentin Vacherot, the No. 8 seed, 6-4, 6-2. The world number 23 reached her eighth round-level final and second of the season after Miami. He is the first Czech to reach the final in Tokyo since Tomas Berdych in 2008. His winning streak now stands at six matches, including Davis Cup wins over Ben Shelton and Laure Thien. The result would also move him up to No. 15 and back to No. 1 in the Czech Republic.
Alcaraz leads Leheka 3-1. The Czech’s only win came in the Doha quarterfinals in 2025, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.