The Rakuten Japan Open is set to take place in Tokyo from October 16-22.
The ATP 500 event is the longest-running ATP tournament in Asia and one of the longest-running on the Tour in the Open Era, having been held every year since 1972 except for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defending champion Taylor Fritz will be returning as the tournament's top seed. The World No. 8 defeated Frances Tiafoe with a straight-sets victory in an all-American final, winning the match 7-6, 7-6. The 25-year-old had a solid run at the recent US Open, reaching the quarter-finals before being ousted by eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
The tournament also boasts two other top 10-ranked players as well as the World No. 11 with Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev, and Tiafoe also scheduled to play at this event.
Second seed Ruud will be looking for redemption this fall after a difficult summer on the North American swing. The Norwegian lost a lot of points when he crashed out of the US Open in the second round this year after reaching the final in 2022. This saw him drop from fifth to ninth in the ATP Ranking.
Meanwhile, third seed Zverev had the opposite experience, reaching the quarter-finals of the last Grand Slam of the year in New York and consequently re-entering the top 10. Fourth seed Tiafoe will be hoping to improve upon his runner-up position at last year's Japan Open and will be encouraged by his own run to the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows.
The other seeds on the entry list include Alex de Minaur, Tommy Paul, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Karen Khachanov, who are seeded from fifth to eighth respectively.
World No. 12 de Minaur will be hoping to replicate the success he had at the ATP Masters 1000 Canadian Open back in August where he reached the final. He was also part of the Australian Davis Cup team that just qualified for the quarter-finals.
Auger-Aliassime will be hoping to secure a deep run in Tokyo after a rough season. The Canadian has only made it to the second round of one ATP tournament in the last few months and risks a drop in the rankings if he does not improve soon.
Seed | Name | Current Ranking | Entry Ranking |
1 | Taylor Fritz | 8 | 8 |
2 | Casper Ruud | 9 | 9 |
3 | Alexander Zverev | 10 | 10 |
4 | Frances Tiafoe | 11 | 11 |
5 | Alex de Minaur | 12 | 12 |
6 | Tommy Paul | 13 | 13 |
7 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 14 | 14 |
8 | Karen Khachanov | 15 | 15 |
Hubert Hurkacz | 16 | 16 | |
Cameron Norrie | 17 | 17 | |
Ben Shelton | 19 | 19 | |
Francisco Cerundolo | 21 | 21 | |
Tomas Martin Etcheverry | 35 | 35 | |
Mackenzie McDonald | 39 | 39 | |
Andy Murray | 41 | 41 | |
Max Purcell | 43 | 43 | |
Alexei Popyrin | 45 | 45 | |
Yoshihito Nishioka | 46 | 46 | |
Daniel Altmaier | 49 | 49 | |
Aleksandar Vukic | 50 | 50 | |
Diego Schwartzman | 136 | 136 | |
Milos Raonic | 322 | 33 (PR) | |
Kei Nishikori | 350 | 48 (PR) | |
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