Carlos Alcaraz rallied past Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 on October 5, 2026, reaching a second consecutive Japan Open final and surpassing Novak Djokovic on the all-time list for finals reached below ATP Masters 1000 level.
World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz overcame his Spanish compatriot in a three-set semifinal battle to book his place in another title match at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo. The defending champion dropped the opening set before finding his rhythm on the hard courts of the Ariake Coliseum and Ariake Tennis Forest Park, dominating the deciding set to secure his fourth final appearance of the 2026 season.
Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Jaume Munar in Tokyo Semifinals
Jaume Munar, ranked 64th in the world, entered the match riding a strong run of form that included an opening-round upset over top-10 player Taylor Fritz and successful qualifying victories. The semifinal clash brought together two Spanish players with a familiar history across four previous head-to-head encounters. Munar carried that momentum onto the court, pressuring Alcaraz early and capturing the first set.
Tennis Abstract’s Elo ratings placed Alcaraz at 2,148.9 overall and 2,079.8 on hard courts compared to Munar at 1,766.7 overall and 1,748.0 on hard courts. Pre-match betting markets had positioned Alcaraz as a massive favorite with -1000 odds, translating to an implied win probability of 90.9%, while Munar sat at +550 with an implied chance of 15.4%.
Alcaraz had reached the semifinals without finishing his quarterfinal match, advancing when Denis Shapovalov retired due to injury early in the second set after Alcaraz won the first-set tiebreaker 7-6. Asked about his tactical approach against Munar, Alcaraz noted his frequent positioning shifts on returns were designed to make the opponent think and not let them settle into a comfortable stance. I’ll go aggressive,
Alcaraz said of his game plan for the semifinal.
The top-seeded champion seized control in the second and third sets, closing out the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to earn his spot in the championship match.
Alcaraz Breaks Novak Djokovic Record With Tokyo Milestone
Having now reached the final in 16 of the 33 tournaments he has contested at the ATP 250 and ATP 500 levels, Alcaraz holds a success rate of 48.5%, according to Opta Ace data cited by The Tennis Gazette. The semifinal victory marked a statistical milestone for the 23-year-old seven-time major champion.
That achievement allowed Alcaraz to surpass Novak Djokovic’s rate of 48.1% in finals reached below Masters 1000 level since 1990. Roger Federer remains first on the all-time list, while Rafael Nadal trails Djokovic in fourth position at 45.0%, followed by Pete Sampras at 44.7%.
Season Context Heading Into the Final
The Tokyo tournament operates as a 500-point event held during the Asian swing in the fall portion of the tennis schedule, running alongside a companion event in Beijing. Alcaraz has competed at three ATP 500 tournaments this year: a title run at the Qatar Open in Doha, a retirement at the Barcelona Open due to a wrist injury that sidelined him for four months, and his current title defense in Japan. Following his previous quarterfinal run at the 2026 US Open, Alcaraz demonstrated that his wrist issues were not as severe as initially feared.
Out of 26 career ATP titles, Alcaraz has now secured 11 at the ATP 250 or ATP 500 level, alongside eight Masters 1000 crowns and seven Grand Slam trophies.