<p>Sugar serves as the primary substrate for fruit respiration, and its content is a critical determinant of fruit quality. This study investigated the regulation of <i>Variovorax</i> sp. R1 on sugar metabolism, respiration, and antioxidant capacity in harvested cucumbers. Cucumber wounding sites were inoculated with an R1 fermentation solution and stored at room temperature for 7 d. Compared to the control, the content of sucrose remained at a higher level and the content of fructose and glucose decreased in the R1 trial, meanwhile, which delayed the fruit softening and reduced the fruit weight loss rate. Furthermore, in the R1 trial, the activity of acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI) was inhibited, and the activity of sucrose synthase-synthesis (SS-cleavage) and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) in cucumber fruit was enhanced. In addition, respiration was also inhibited in the R1 treatment, and the activities of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) were also investigated. The results showed that the activity of PGI was inhibited, whereas the activities of SDH and G6PDH were increased. Moreover, cucumbers treated with R1 exhibited lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and higher antioxidant enzyme activities. These findings suggest that cucumbers subjected to mechanical damage can maintain higher sucrose content when treated with R1. This treatment helps sustain cucumber quality by regulating sugar metabolism, respiratory metabolism, and antioxidant activity. This provides a theoretical basis for antagonistic endophytic bacteria to preserve the freshness of postharvest fruit.</p>