Carlos Alcaraz wore down Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in the Japan Open final in Tokyo to win his eighth title of a spectacular year.

World No 1 Alcaraz is also a step closer to ensuring he ends the year at the top of the ATP rankings, having won seven of the last nine events he's entered - reaching the final in the other two tournaments he did not win since April.

The Spaniard joins Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Jannik Sinner as the only men's players to win eight titles in a single season.

Victory also earned Alcaraz revenge for a stunning loss to Fritz at the Laver Cup in San Francisco this month, the Spaniard's first defeat by the American in four clashes, which came shortly after his triumphant US Open campaign.

"This is one of the great seasons in men's ten

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