Carlos Alcaraz opts out of title defense as Spaniard adds new event to 2025 ATP schedule

In a surprising move, former World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz has decided not to defend his 2024 China Open title this year, choosing instead to compete at the Japan Open.

The Spaniard defeated World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the final in Beijing, as both men contested in one of the matches of the year. The epic three-hour encounter saw Alcaraz prevail in a third set tiebreaker, as he recorded his third consecutive win against the Italian superstar.

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Alcaraz to compete in Tokyo instead

Despite being the defending champion, it appears Alcaraz will not be returning to the China Open this year. The official Japan Open Instagram page announced that the reigning Wimbledon champion will be a participant at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo. Both events are held during the same week, from September 22-20, 2025.

Alcaraz has not spoken on his decision to skip the China Open. The ATP 500 event, hosted in Beijing, offers a larger prize purse than the Japan Open. Therefore, it tends to attract a larger number of top 10 players.

This is not the first change Alcaraz has made to his schedule. The four-time Grand Slam champion usually competes on clay at the Argentina Open and Rio Open in February Open but decided to play on hard courts in Rotterdam and Qatar instead.

Alcaraz could continue the tradition of young stars prevailing at the Japan Open, with American Ben Shelton winning the tournament in 2023 and French youngster Arthur Fils lifting the trophy at last year's edition.

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