Carlos Alcaraz has started his defence of the Japan Open title with a hard-fought win over Alex Michelsen, while Ben Shelton withdrew from the tournament before it began.
Alcaraz beat Michelsen 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1 in his opening match in Tokyo on 1 October, saving three set points in the first set before taking control late. The Spaniard is now unbeaten in six matches at the Ariake Coliseum.
Shelton pulled out of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open on 25 September, days before the main draw began. The American, who won his first ATP Tour title in Tokyo in 2023, said the demands of the US Open and the subsequent Davis Cup qualifying tie in Czechia had left him unable to compete.
“The US Open and Davis Cup took a toll on my body and I’m not going to be able to make it,” Shelton said in a statement published by the ATP.
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Michelsen took Shelton’s place in the main draw and was then drawn against Alcaraz in the first round. It is the second year in a row that Shelton has missed the tournament, having withdrawn in 2025 with a shoulder injury.
Alcaraz next faces Matteo Arnaldi on 3 October for a place in the quarter-finals. The tournament runs until 6 October at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.
Sources: – [ATP: Shelton withdraws from Tokyo](https://www.atptour.com/en/news/shelton-tokyo-2026-withdrawal) – [Arab News: Alcaraz begins Japan Open defence with win over Michelsen](https://www.arabnews.com/tennis/alcaraz-begins-japan-open-defence-with-win-over-michelsen-3004121) – [Essentially Sports: Ben Shelton Withdraws From Tokyo Open](https://www.essentiallysports.com/tennis-news-ben-shelton-withdraws-from-tokyo-open-as-fellow-american-takes-his-place/) – [Tennis Majors: Alcaraz saves three set points, pulls away from Michelsen](https://www.tennismajors.com/atp/alcaraz-saves-three-set-points-then-pulls-away-from-michelsen-to-stay-perfect-in-tokyo-862279.html)
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