The Japan Open in Tokyo is one of the most prestigious ATP 500 tournaments on the calendar, and the draw for this year's iteration has been unveiled.
Running from September 25 to October 1, the 2024 Japan Open is one of two ATP 500 tournaments being played during that week. The other is the China Open in Beijing, a combined ATP and WTA event.
The tournament's history of winners demonstrates how valued the event has been since its inception in 1915. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray have all secured the title in Tokyo.
Some may have been concerned about this year's Japan Open being overshadowed due to the high-profile players competing in Beijing. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, who sealed the title for Team Europe at the Laver Cup, and Daniil Medvedev are in the China Open draw.
However, the 2024 Japan Open also has several top players in the draw. US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas are just some of the great players set to compete in the Japanese capital.
The draw for the ATP 500 tournament has been made, and there are many fascinating first-round contests and some possible blockbuster matchups in the subsequent rounds.
Taylor Fritz, the No. 1 seed, has been handed a very difficult draw. He starts his tournament against the highly talented 20-year-old Arthur Fils, who is capable of troubling anybody when he plays his best tennis.
However, it could get even tougher for the US Open runner-up in the next round. He will play the 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini in the second round if the Italian defeats a qualifier in his opening match.
Fritz might expect an easier quarterfinal if he overcomes those challenges, but that may not be the case. At that stage, he could face his compatriot and the defending Japan Open champion, Ben Shelton.
Shelton will need to overcome the huge-serving Reilly Opelka and then either Mariano Navone or Luciano Darderi to set up that encounter with Taylor Fritz, all of whom are difficult opponents.
There is also a potential quarterfinal between Ruud and Holger Rune in the top half of the draw. The Nordic pair have had some heated battles, including at the French Open.
If Ruud beats Jordan Thompson in the opening round, he faces Kei Nishikori or Marin Cilic in the next round, whose opening round clash is a repeat of their 2014 US Open final, won by the Croatian in straight sets.
Tsitsipas might be happier with his draw in the bottom half. The Greek faces a qualifier in the first round before battling Tomas Martin Etcheverry or another qualifier. However, he could meet Tommy Paul or Alexei Popyrin in the quarterfinals.
There is a potential quarterfinal matchup between Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe in the other section in the bottom half. But Tiafoe faces a challenging first-round contest against Brandon Nakashima, who has played great tennis recently.
Hurkacz may also need to defeat US Open semifinalist Jack Draper in the second round of the 2024 Japan Open to reach the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
2024 Japan Open Tokyo ATP Draw:
| Player 1 | Player 2 |
|---|---|
| Taylor Fritz [1] | Arthur Fils |
| Qualifier | Matteo Berrettini |
| Mariano Navone | Luciano Darderi |
| Reilly Opelka | Ben Shelton [8] |
| Casper Ruud [3] | Jordan Thompson |
| Marin Cilic | Kei Nishikori |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | Yoshihito Nishioka |
| Alejandro Tabilo | Holger Rune [6] |
| Tommy Paul [5] | Matteo Arnaldi |
| Alexei Popyrin | Tomas Machac |
| Tomas Martin Etcheverry | Qualifier |
| Qualifier | Stefanos Tsitsipas [4] |
| Frances Tiafoe [7] | Brandon Nakashima |
| Shintaro Mochizuki | Ugo Humbert |
| Jack Draper | Qualifier |
| Marcos Giron | Hubert Hurkacz [2] |
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