Carlos Alcaraz has extended his personal record with a 67th victory this season, and won his eighth title this year, the Japan Open in Tokyo, which also served as his revenge against Taylor Fritz, who defeated the Spaniard at the Laver Cup just nine days earlier.
The World No. 1 adds another new trophy to the his collection. He hasn't lost since the Wimbledon final in July against Sinner, and has taken three consecutive titles, the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, the US Open and the Tokyo Open. He seems unstoppable... but needs a rest, and has announced his withdrawal from the Shanghai Open, that takes place between October 1-12.
"I'm very disappointed to announce that I won't be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year", Alcaraz said on social media. "Unfortunately, I've been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!"
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Alcaraz had a big scare at his first match in Japan, where he seemed to sprain his left ankle. It ended up being less serious than it seemed, as Alcaraz managed to finish the match, and then win the tournament.
Without Alcaraz, Corentin Moutet will become the 33rd seed, and Jannik Sinner will be the top seeded player. Alcaraz will loose 200 points from his quarter-final exit at Shanghai last year, but Sinner will be defending 1000 points, meaning he will not be able to catch him in the ATP rankings.
Alcaraz's next tournament will likely be Paris Masters 1,000 (between October 27 and November 2).