Carlos Alcaraz’s Asian swing is off to a winning start after coming out on top in his first two matches at the Japan Open.
Alcaraz defeated Sebastian Baez in his opening match of the tournament despite suffering an injury scare mid-contest with the Argentine.
The Spaniard looked healthy enough in the second round against Zizou Bergs, however, who he beat in straight sets to book his place in the quarterfinals.
With his triumph over Bergs, Alcaraz‘s career win percentage now ranks among some of the all-time tennis greats.
Where Carlos Alcaraz’s win rate ranks among all-time greats
Since turning professional in 2018, the world number one has tallied a higher win rate than his rival Jannik Sinner, with 81% compared to the Italian’s 78%.
He has also now obtained a greater total than 11-time major champion and legend of the game, Rod Laver, who finished his career with 80%.
Only seven players in history rank higher than Alcaraz in win percentage, and just two per cent separate him from the number one spot.
The 22-year-old trails Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, and Bjorn Borg, all of whom won 82% of their matches on the ATP Tour.
| Player | Career Win % |
| Novak Djokovic | 83% |
| Rafael Nadal | 83% |
| Bjorn Borg | 82% |
| Roger Federer | 82% |
| Jimmy Connors | 82% |
| John McEnroe | 82% |
| Ivan Lendl | 82% |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 81% |
| Rod Laver | 80% |
| Jannik Sinner | 78% |
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the two players with the highest win rates in the Open Era, tallying 83% each.
Alcaraz has plenty of time to surpass Djokovic and Nadal in the statistic, and may well exceed them in Grand Slam titles as well.
Carlos Alcaraz’s quarterfinal opponent at the Japan Open
In the quarterfinals at the Japan Open, Alcaraz will take on Brandon Nakashima for the second time at a tour-level event.
The two have had just one meeting before, which came at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2021, where the six-time Grand Slam champion emerged victorious in straight sets.
Nakashima secured his place in the last eight in Tokyo after besting Jordan Thompson and Marton Fucsovics.
Now, the American is faced with the best player in the world, who, outside of the Laver Cup, has not lost since the Wimbledon final.
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