Rolex Paris Masters Final: Carlos Alcaraz battles past Ben Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 for maiden title
FINAL: Alcaraz def. Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5. First Paris Masters title for Alcaraz, 9th Masters 1000 trophy. Shelton finishes as runner-up after 14 aces.
| Player | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 7 | 7 |
| Ben Shelton | 6 | 5 |
FINAL: Carlos Alcaraz def. Ben Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5. Alcaraz wins 1st Paris Masters and 9th Masters 1000 title.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Ben Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 on Sunday, 8 November, in the Rolex Paris Masters final at Accor Arena to claim his first Bercy crown and his ninth career ATP Masters 1000 championship. The match lasted one hour and 58 minutes of high-intensity indoor tennis. Shelton, who had struck 14 aces and saved three break points in the opening set, led 5-4 in the tiebreak before Alcaraz won three consecutive baseline rallies to take the set. In the second set, Alcaraz fended off two break points at 4-4 before breaking Shelton's serve at 5-5 with a forehand pass down the line. Alcaraz then served out the victory to love. The triumph avenged Alcaraz's loss to Shelton in the US Open quarter-finals earlier in the season. On Saturday in the semi-finals, Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2, while Shelton had outlasted Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
The stakes
Alcaraz collects his 9th ATP Masters 1000 trophy and seals the world year-end number one ranking heading into the ATP Finals in Turin. Shelton achieves a career-best Masters runner-up finish.
The rivalry angle
Alcaraz avenges his dramatic US Open five-set defeat against Shelton with precision returns against the American's 140 mph serve.
Players who could decide it
Wins first Paris title 7-6(5), 7-5; 9th career Masters 1000 crown.
14 aces and 32 winners; first American finalist in Paris since Sock 2017.
Semi-finalist defeated by Alcaraz 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday.
Did you know?
- !Alcaraz wins his first Paris Masters title, becoming only the second Spaniard after David Ferrer (2012) to win at Bercy.
- !Shelton struck 14 aces but was broken at 5-5 in the second set on Alcaraz's only break point of that set.
- !Alcaraz won the final three points of the opening set tiebreak from 4-5 down.
Head to head
Sunday 8 November 2026. Accor Arena, Paris. Final: Alcaraz 7-6(5), 7-5.
Sources
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