Carlos Alcaraz sends message to Denis Shapovalov on social media after he retired injured from their Japan Open match
Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Japan Open semifinals after opponent Denis Shapovalov retired due to a hip injury. Alcaraz expressed support for his rival's recovery, maintaining his reputation for sportsmanship.
Why it matters
Highlights professional sportsmanship and updates on high-profile ATP tour standings.
Carlos Alcaraz has made it through to the semifinals of the Japan Open after knocking out Denis Shapovalov.
Alcaraz now boasts 30 wins in his 2026 ATP season , although his latest was via a walkover after Shapovalov was unable to continue. The Spaniard was, however, leading the Canadian 7-6(7-3), 2-1 at the time of the retirement. The Japan Open quarterfinal tie was brought to an end after 82 minutes.
Shapovalov appeared to suffer an injury at the beginning of the second set, right after Alcaraz had saved set point in the first. The former stretched for a forehand and pulled his hip, leading to an off-court medical timeout. He has now received a message from his opponent following the retirement.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in