Alcaraz wins first Paris Masters title — Carlos Alcaraz secured his first Rolex Paris Masters crown on Sunday, defeating Ben Shelton 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 in a final that doubled as payback for a painful US Open loss. The victory marks the Spaniard’s ninth ATP Masters 1000 title and extends his winning streak to nine matches as he builds toward the ATP Finals in Turin.
A long-awaited Paris breakthrough
Before this week, Alcaraz had never advanced past the quarter-finals at the Paris Masters. That history made the triumph especially meaningful for the 23-year-old, who called the tournament “really special” and admitted he had been chasing the title for a long time after suffering some of the toughest defeats of his career there.
The final was a tense, high-quality contest between two players in strong form. Shelton, ranked world number four, had won four titles in 2026 and reached his first major final. Alcaraz, meanwhile, arrived in Paris having won three titles in the two months since his return from a four-month wrist injury layoff, a stretch that included 16 wins in 17 matches.
How the final unfolded
Alcaraz saved all six break points he faced in the opening set, holding his nerve in a tie-break that he took by winning four of the last five points from 4-3 down. Shelton also showed composure under pressure, saving two break points of his own, but could not convert his chances in the first set.
The second set saw Shelton finally break through in an error-strewn third service game from Alcaraz. But with Shelton serving for a 5-3 lead, Alcaraz responded immediately, breaking back and then holding for 5-4 after a breathless exchange that ended with him pointing to his ear to demand more noise from the crowd. He closed out the match on his second match point, winning five of the final six games.
Revenge for New York
The result came just 60 days after Shelton ended Alcaraz’s comeback tournament at the US Open, where the Spaniard was playing his first event following wrist surgery. Alcaraz had exceeded expectations by reaching the quarter-finals in New York, only to fall in a five-set epic to the rising American. Sunday’s final offered a measure of revenge and further evidence that Alcaraz is nearing a full return to the top of the men’s game.
After the match, Alcaraz praised Shelton as a great champion, player and person, noting that the American is improving with every tournament and predicting even tougher battles ahead.
Golden Masters within reach
With his ninth Masters 1000 title, Alcaraz now has seven of the nine events in the series. Only the Canadian Open and the Shanghai Masters remain for him to complete the career Golden Masters, a feat achieved by just two men: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz’s 2026 season began with him winning the Australian Open to become the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam. He will now aim to finish a challenging year with a statement victory at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he will arrive on a nine-match win streak following his title in Vienna and his triumph in Paris.
Earlier in Paris, Alcaraz saved two match points against Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, marking the fourth time in his career he has won a title after facing match points at the tournament. That resilience was on full display again in the final, where he held off a determined Shelton to claim a long-sought Paris crown.
