Carlos Alcaraz finally conquered the one indoor Masters title that had eluded him, beating Ben Shelton 7-6 (5) 7-5 in the Paris Masters final on Sunday to avenge his US Open defeat by the American two months ago.
The second seed from Spain saved six break points in a 65-minute first set and recovered from a break down in the second to win in one hour and 57 minutes at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre. It was his fifth title of 2026, his second in successive weeks after Vienna, and the 29th of his career.
“It is something I have been chasing for a long time,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “Some of the toughest defeats I ever had in my career I have had here. Finally I got my level here. I found the right path and the right way to do things.”
Saved under pressure, then a late surge
Shelton, the third seed, had the better of the early exchanges. At 1-2 in the opening set, Alcaraz fell 0-40 on his own serve and saved four break points in a row to hold. The 24-year-old American had six chances to break in the set and took none of them.
The tie-break went the Spaniard’s way when Shelton sent a forehand long on Alcaraz’s second set point.
Shelton responded by breaking in the middle of the second set, firing two aces in the process, and served 12 aces in the match to Alcaraz’s six. But Alcaraz broke back to level at 4-4, broke again late in the set with a winner off a Shelton drop shot, and sealed the title on his second match point with a backhand down the line.
“He is always in a position to attack after that serve,” Alcaraz said. “It is really difficult to dominate that ball. It is not only coming fast, it is coming with a lot of power.”
Shelton was frustrated by his missed chances. “The window is small. If you miss your chance, it’s likely that another isn’t going to come,” he said. “It also speaks to his level, his ability to be clutch.”
From wrist injury to nine straight wins
The result caps a remarkable recovery. Alcaraz missed more than four months of the season with a right wrist injury and returned at the US Open in September. There he lost a five-set quarter-final to Shelton that lasted four hours 28 minutes and finished at 3:33am. Shelton went on to reach the final, where he lost to Alexander Zverev.
Since that defeat, Alcaraz has won all three finals he has reached: Tokyo, Vienna, where he did not drop a set, and now Paris. He has won 19 of his 21 matches since his comeback and nine in a row. Only Jannik Sinner, with six, has won more titles in 2026.
His week in Paris tested his nerve. In the quarter-finals he saved two match points in the second set before beating Taylor Fritz 6-7 (10) 7-5 6-3. He then beat Casper Ruud 6-4 6-4 in the semi-finals without facing a break point.
“I would say this week I made one step forward mentally,” Alcaraz said. “Trying to be positive, trying to stay strong mentally. I’m happy I controlled my emotions every single match.”
Alcaraz is the second Spanish champion in the tournament’s 40-year history, after David Ferrer in 2012. Key numbers from his win:
- Ninth Masters 1000 title, and his first in Paris
- He has now won seven of the nine Masters events
- He is the third player since 1990 to win Masters titles in five consecutive years, after Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
- He leads Shelton 4-1 in their head-to-head
Next stop Turin
Both finalists head to the ATP Finals in Turin, which runs from 15 to 22 November. They will join Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar. Jodar took the last place after Fritz lost in Paris.
Alcaraz, the world number three, arrives as the form player in the field. Shelton, ranked fourth, goes in with plenty to show for his season, including back-to-back Montreal titles and a US Open final. But Sunday underlined a gap he still has to close: he now has one win and 19 defeats against players ranked in the top three.
Shelton was looking for his third Masters crown but took a long view.
“When you get to play against the best consistently in big matches, I think that you learn so much,” he said. “Now going to Turin against the eight best players in the world, that’s the positions that I want to be in.”
Alcaraz offered his opponent a warning wrapped in a compliment. “After a defeat, you always bounce back even stronger,” he said. “I’m going to be afraid of you!”
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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