First-round competition in Tokyo gets started on Wednesday, when No. 8 seed Valentin Vacherot faces a tough opening match against Alexander Blockx. Qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas tries to keep his productive week going against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
(8) Valentin Vacherot vs. Alexander Blockx
Vacherot and Blockx will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Japan Open on Wednesday. The Asian swing is pretty much where it all began last year for Vacherot, who qualified for the Shanghai Masters main draw and eventually went all the way to the title with wins over Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Novak Djokovic along the way. Twelve months later, the 27-year-old Monegasque is the No. 18 player in the world and seeded at one of the best ATP 500 tournaments on the calendar.
Blockx has enjoyed his own surge up the rankings, with 20 of his 26 career main-tour match victories coming this season. Such success has propelled the 21-year-old Belgian to No. 28 in the world. The best result of Blockx’s professional life came at the recent U.S. Open, where he advanced to the quarterfinals before retiring against Karen Khachanov with a leg injury. Three weeks off should be just what the doctor ordered for Blockx, who is facing an opponent who has endured his own physical problems during the second half of 2026. Assuming Blockx is 100 percent, he has a good chance to win this one.
Pick: Blockx in 3
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. (Q) Stefanos Tsitsipas
The Tokyo qualifying draw was stacked. Arthur Fils played in it because he missed the entry deadline; Tsitsipas played in it because he was not ranked high enough to gain direct entry into the main draw. Earning his way into the field of 32 is exactly what the world No. 44 did, taking out Yoshihito Nishioka and Rinky Hijikata in straight sets earlier this week. Tsitsipas is now 7-1 in his last eight matches dating back to the U.S. Open, where he ousted Fils in round one before eventually losing to Ben Shelton in the last 16.
Up first for the 28-year-old on Wednesday is a third meeting with Etcheverry, who trails the head-to-head series 2-0. Tsitsipas dominated 6-1, 6-0 at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters before cruising to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory at the 2025 French Open. A move to hard courts should not improve the chances of Etcheverry, who is an all-surface player but has always done his best work on clay. The 30th-ranked Argentine also reached the U.S. Open fourth round, but his Asian swing began with an immediate 6-2, 6-3 loss to Kyrian Jacquet in Hangzhou. All signs point to Tsitsipas maintaining his mastery of this matchup.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 2
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