It was Alcaraz’s ninth consecutive final this year, matching Rafael Nadal’s record, and he is 7-2 in finals since losing in the round of 64 at the Miami Open in March.
“I didn’t start the year that good, struggling emotionally, so how I came back from that, I’m just really proud of myself, and of all the people around me who have helped me to be in this position.”
In beating Fritz, Alcaraz claimed his 24th singles career title at ATP level at just 22. Only Nadal achieved that number at a younger age, doing so at 21 years and 321 days.
The Spaniard began the week in Tokyo with injury troubles after hurting his ankle, which has now forced him out of the Shanghai Masters despite his triumph in Japan.
“I enjoyed every single second, (apart from) the five minutes I was on the floor after I hurt my ankle,” Alcaraz said about his debut in Tokyo.
“I’m really happy with the level that I played, with everything. Starting the week not good with the ankle, and the way that I came back from that, I’m just really happy about it.”
After his superb debut in Tokyo, Alcaraz moved to 67 wins for the season but he will have to wait a little longer to add to that impressive record after announcing his withdrawal from Shanghai.
“I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year!” Alcaraz wrote on Instagram Stories.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover.
“I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!”
The 22-year-old is within touching distance of rival Sinner’s tally of 73 wins from last year.
