TOKYO AND BEIJING KICK OFF: ALCARAZ DEFENDS, DJOKOVIC RETURNS TO HIS FORTRESS, NISHIKORI SAYS GOODBYE

The Asian swing moves into top gear this week as two ATP 500 events get under way on the same day, with the Japan Open in Tokyo and the China Open in Beijing both starting main-draw play on Wednesday.

In Tokyo, Carlos Alcaraz returns as top seed and defending champion, a year after winning the title on his debut at the event. The field also includes Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, who reached a career-high World No. 8 in mid-September, and 20-year-old Rafael Jodar, currently ninth in the Race to Turin. Holger Rune makes his first tour appearance since October 2025, when an Achilles injury sidelined him.

The most emotional storyline belongs to Kei Nishikori. The 36-year-old has confirmed that Tokyo will be the final tournament of his career, giving home fans one last chance to see the man who brought Japanese tennis to a new level.

In Beijing, Alexander Zverev leads the field as top seed after a season in which he won both Roland Garros and the US Open and now tops the Race to Turin. Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second. All eyes will also be on Novak Djokovic, who returns to the China Open for the first time since 2015 with a perfect 29-0 record and six titles at the event. Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Karen Khachanov complete a draw that features half of the world’s Top 10.

With Turin qualification spots still up for grabs, both weeks could reshape the end-of-season picture.

Source: ATP Tour

Photo: JC / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0