Carlos Alcaraz already has the Masters 1000 of Paris on his record. The Spanish player has defeated Ben Shelton in the final of this Sunday and has crowned himself champion for the first time in the French capital, after a week in which he was overcoming his rivals until reaching the last match of the tournament.
The victory has a special meaning for the man from Murcia, who was looking for revenge against the American. Shelton had eliminated him in the quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open, in a five-set match that meant Alcaraz’s first loss against the North American.
The final was also marked by the future link between Shelton and Juan Carlos Ferrero. The former coach of Alcaraz will join the American’s technical team starting next season, an added element of interest to the matchup.
Alcaraz completes his first conquest in Paris
The Spaniard arrived at the final after beating the Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semifinals 6-4 and 6-4. A victory that allowed him to reach the final of the tournament for the first time, after his best prior result had been the quarterfinals.
On his way to the title he also had to get past the American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, in a demanding match that he resolved in three sets. Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal in the previous round allowed him to advance without playing that match.
For Shelton, the final also represented the possibility of winning the Paris tournament for the first time. The American reached the final after mounting a comeback against the Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the semifinals, 5-7, 6-3 and 6-4.
The revenge after the US Open and the reunion with Ferrero
The Paris matchup was the fifth between the two players. Alcaraz had won the first three duels, but Shelton broke that streak in the quarterfinals of the US Open, where he prevailed in five sets.
The French final has allowed the Spaniard to respond to that defeat and close with a title his first participation in the final of the Masters 1000 of Paris.
The tournament, played on indoor hard court, is the last Masters 1000 of the season before the ATP Finals in Turin. Alcaraz thus adds a new conquest to his record and becomes the second Spaniard to win the tournament, after David Ferrer, champion in 2012.