Carlos Alcaraz has gained a measure of revenge on Ben Shelton as the seven-time Grand Slam champion beat the American 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to win the Paris Masters for the first time. In defeating the man who ended his US Open title defence earlier this season, the 23-year-old claimed the ninth 1000-level title of his career on Sunday.
Match Dynamics and Path to Victory
- The clash in Paris lasted just under two hours, proving far more efficient than their five-set quarterfinal epic in New York two months ago.
- Alcaraz entered the tournament following a 500-level title win in Vienna and has now extended his winning streak to nine consecutive matches.
- The victory ensures the world number three enters the ATP Finals—scheduled for November 15-22 in Turin—with five tour-level titles this year, trailing only the injured Jannik Sinner who holds six.
After being presented the trophy by former champion Boris Becker, Alcaraz shared his relief regarding the breakthrough. “Coming here every year, not finding my best tennis but we never gave up,” he remarked. “We had really painful losses here and we always said try again,” he added with a smile. This result maintains his perfect record in title matches within the French capital, having previously secured two French Open crowns. His path to this win involved saving match points against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, an effort reminiscent of his famous Roland Garros victory. For Shelton, the world number four, the loss represents his first defeat in a Masters final after having succeeded in his two prior appearances at that level in the Canadian Open.
