It was a weekend to remember for tennis fans across Asia as two of the sport’s brightest young stars—Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff—delivered thrilling performances in Tokyo and Beijing, respectively, on September 28, 2025. With a combined showcase of technical brilliance, mental grit, and high-octane rallies, both players not only advanced in their tournaments but also cemented their reputations as forces to be reckoned with on the ATP and WTA Tours.
Let’s start in Tokyo, where Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1, continued his blistering run this season by booking a spot in the Japan Open semi-finals. Facing off against America’s Brandon Nakashima, Alcaraz wasted little time asserting his dominance, cruising to a 6-2, 6-4 victory in just one hour and 20 minutes. The Spaniard’s performance wasn’t just about the scoreline; it was about the artistry on display. He struck 39 winners, mixing diamond-edged forehands with feather-light drop shots, and showcased a level of tennis that had the Tokyo crowd buzzing.
“It’s great to go through and play another semi-final,” Alcaraz told reporters after the match. “It’s special because it’s the first time I’m playing here in Japan. It’s great to see a Spanish flag in the draw. I’m feeling great every time I step on the court, and I feel like I can do everything. I’m approaching the end of the season with a lot of confidence, and these kinds of matches help to keep my confidence high.”
Alcaraz’s win marked his 65th of the season, matching a career-high and pushing his 2025 record to an eye-popping 65-7. It’s a stat that speaks volumes about his consistency and his ability to raise his level at the business end of tournaments. The final game of the match was a microcosm of Alcaraz’s game at its peak: a crosscourt backhand flick for 15-0, a pair of inside-out forehands, a deft drop volley, and finally, a thunderous inside-in forehand to close out the contest. Nakashima, a solid opponent, simply had no answer to the Spaniard’s relentless assault.
What’s even more impressive is that Alcaraz has now reached the semi-finals in nine consecutive tournaments, a run that includes his reclaiming of the world No. 1 ranking from Jannik Sinner. Next up for him is a showdown with Norway’s Casper Ruud, a player he’s beaten four out of five times in their previous meetings. Tennis fans are already salivating at the prospect of another high-octane clash as Alcaraz continues to raise both his ceiling and his floor, as noted by The Athletic’s James Hansen: “Alcaraz’s ceiling has been the highest on the ATP Tour for some time; now he is raising his floor, too.”
Meanwhile, across the East China Sea, Coco Gauff was embroiled in a battle of her own at the China Open in Beijing. The defending champion and No. 2 seed faced Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in a match that had everything: momentum swings, 15 breaks of serve, and a dramatic deciding set. Gauff took the first set 6-4, but Fernandez stormed back to take the second 6-4, setting up a nail-biting third set. At one point, Gauff led 5-2 in the decider, only for Fernandez to claw her way back to 5-5. The tension was palpable as Fernandez saved two match points, but ultimately, Gauff’s persistence paid off—she sealed victory on her third match point when Fernandez netted a return.
“It was very physical, we were going back and forth,” Gauff said in her post-match interview. “Obviously, the third set I was playing well, I could’ve served a bit better, but I did what I needed to do to win today.” The match lasted a grueling two hours and 45 minutes, and it marked the third time Gauff has bested Fernandez this season. She’ll now face either Belinda Bencic or qualifier Priscilla Hon in the last 16, as she looks to defend her title in Beijing.
The China Open also featured the return of Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, who is playing through an elbow injury. Zheng told reporters, “Coming here to the China Open really depends on the support of the fans, because my team wasn’t really supporting me in playing this tournament. In every training session, I see those fans and I said, I really want to play in front of these people.” Her determination to play for the home crowd is just another example of the strong connection between players and fans in China, a culture that has embraced tennis both on and off the court.
Elsewhere in Asia, Alexander Bublik continued his transformation from mercurial talent to ‘Mr. Consistent,’ capturing his fourth ATP title of the season at the Hangzhou Open in China. Bublik’s win puts him just behind Alcaraz for most ATP titles in 2025. Remarkably, he has now won titles on all three surfaces—grass, clay, and hard—in a single season, joining an exclusive club that includes Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. His steady performances have propelled him to a career-high ranking of world No. 16 and put him in contention for a spot at the ATP Tour Finals in Turin.
The Asian tennis swing is also notable for the vibrant fan culture, especially in China. Players like Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff have received creative nicknames from local fans—“Da Fu” and “Fruit Salad Queen,” respectively—and are often greeted with unique gifts and signs in the stands. This blend of on-court intensity and off-court engagement has made the current run of tournaments in Korea, China, and Japan particularly memorable.
Looking ahead, the ATP and WTA Tours will continue their Asian leg with marquee events in Beijing, Tokyo, and Shanghai. The China Open will feature stars like Iga Świątek, Zheng Qinwen, Mirra Andreeva, and Emma Raducanu, while the Japan Open and Shanghai Masters are set to showcase the likes of Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, and Ben Shelton. Tennis fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports in the UK and the Tennis Channel in the U.S.
As the season heads into its final stretch, the performances of Alcaraz and Gauff remind us that the future of tennis is in very good hands. With their blend of athleticism, technical skill, and competitive fire, they’re not just winning matches—they’re captivating audiences around the world. Stay tuned as the drama continues to unfold on courts across Asia and beyond.
