Alcaraz advances to Japan Open semi-finals as Shapovalov retires; Vacherot stuns Fils
Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the semi-finals of the Japan Open in Tokyo on October 4, 2026 after Denis Shapovalov retired with Alcaraz leading 7-6 (7/3), 2-1. Later on Sunday, Valentin Vacherot beat Arthur Fils 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to join the last four.
Alcaraz entered the match as the tournament's defending champion and is ranked world number three. He is playing only his third event since returning from a months-long wrist injury and reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last month. On Saturday he had saved four set points against Matteo Arnaldi. Denis Shapovalov is listed as world number 46.
The match between Alcaraz and Shapovalov remained closely contested through the opening set, with Alcaraz troubled by Shapovalov’s mixture of deep shots, drop shots and variations of pace and spin. Alcaraz recovered from 5-4 down to force the tie-break, then sealed it 7-3 with a passing shot. Shapovalov suffered an upper right thigh injury in the first game of the second set and retired, handing Alcaraz the 7-6 (7/3), 2-1 victory.
Alcaraz will meet fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar for a place in the final after Munar, ranked world number 64, ended the run of France’s Kyrian Jacquet, who is ranked 86.
In the other quarter-final, Valentin Vacherot upset France’s Arthur Fils 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to set up a semi-final against Jiri Lehecka. Fils, the big-serving world number 18, held two set points at 5-3 in the opener but lost the next four games, the set falling to Vacherot on a down-the-line return. Fils forced a deciding set, pumping his fist and rallying the crowd, but eventually succumbed in a tight, two-hour, 20-minute match.
Jiri Lehecka, the Czech world number 23, reached the semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, completing the match in under an hour.
The semi-final line-up is confirmed: Carlos Alcaraz faces Jaume Munar for a place in the final, while Valentin Vacherot meets Jiri Lehecka in the other semi-final.