Tokyo marks another big milestone for Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard survived a first-set scare against Casper Ruud in the semifinals before grinding out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at the ATP 500 event. Straight into the finals again. And this after picking up an injury in the opening round when he took a nasty fall and hurt his ankle. He admitted he was “scared,” but that hasn’t stopped him. Now he’s chasing another trophy, but that’s not all. With this win, Alcaraz has checked off another milestone: One that ties him with his idol.

Alcaraz has put together something special in 2025. Since the Monte-Carlo Masters, he’s played his way into nine straight ATP tour-level finals, the latest coming in Tokyo. That streak doesn’t just scream dominance, it puts him in rare company. The only other player to hit that number in the modern era is Rafael Nadal. He pieced together his own nine-final surge in 2013, stretching from Vina Del Mar to Roland Garros.

That’s what makes this run even more exciting. Alcaraz is carving out his place right beside Rafa. Nadal’s 2013 and Alcaraz’s 2025 campaigns (so far) look like mirror images of dominance. Both lifted the Roland-Garros and US Open crowns. Both added Cincinnati. Both pocketed two clay Masters 1000 titles, including Rome. And both stamped their authority with a streak of nine finals in a row.

Now his next opponent? Taylor Fritz. It’s their third clash of the season and a chance for the Spaniard to settle a score after Fritz beat him for the first time at the Laver Cup just a week ago, snapping Alcaraz’s 13-match winning streak in style. He dominated both from the baseline and at the net, displaying aggressive, no-nonsense tennis.

While it didn’t go in Alcaraz’s favor at the time, he certainly made up for it coming into Tokyo. He defeated Sebastian Baez, Zizou Bergs, and Brandon Nakashima in straight sets to make it to the semis against Ruud, only dropping the first set before picking up the pace again.

Carlos Alcaraz reflected on his match, saying, “I had a lot of chances in the first set. I had four break points if I’m not wrong. It’s just about details, so I just tried to be more positive than the first set. I was a little bit mad with myself, so I just tried to play with joy again, putting a lot of positive thoughts in my mind.” His hard-fought win lasted two hours and eight minutes, marking a personal-best 66th victory of the season.

Now, with a rematch against Fritz set up, the tension is high! But Alcaraz has already expressed his desire to overthrow the Americans at the tournament.

The Americans receive a warning from Carlos Alcaraz

On Sunday, Carlos crushed America’s Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-4 in just 80 minutes, shaking off any worries from his earlier ankle scare. The world No. 1 fired 39 winners, showcasing his all-court mastery and securing his 65th win of the season with ease. When asked about the sea of American flags in the stands, Alcaraz laughed off the question, embracing the challenge with pure confidence.

“It’s great to go through, to play another semifinal. It’s special, because it’s the first time I’m playing in Japan, here in Tokyo. To reach the semifinals in my first appearance is something great,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just trying not to let the Americans go further. It’s great to see a Spanish flag in the draw.”

Taylor Fritz, on the other hand, is fired up and hungry for bigger trophies. Speaking recently, he made his ambition clear: “My main goal is to win a Grand Slam.” On the pressure of battling the world’s best, Fritz said, “If it’s not going to be just Carlos and Sinner then yeah, there’s only right now a handful of people that you might be able to contest. And I’m working really hard to be one of them.” His determination has propelled him to the Japan Open final four.

The thrilling showdown is set for Tuesday at Ariake Coliseum. Will Fritz add another win against Alcaraz, or will the Spaniard assert his dominance once again? Drop your thoughts in the comments!