‘Magnificent’ Alcaraz

It may not be his best surface, nor his most spectacular year, but Carlos Alcaraz should never be counted out because he always comes back. The Spaniard lifted his first Masters 1000 in Paris after a week full of resilience and know-how. He faced Ben Shelton in the final, the next player of Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had several opportunities to take a lead. But Carlitos is very much Carlitos, and with another display of faith and confidence, he secures the victory and the title with 7-6(5), 7-5.

Not only was it the final between the two best tennis players of the week battling for the last Masters 1000 of the year, but the match gained extra intrigue after it was revealed that Juan Carlos Ferrero, the coach who shaped the Murcian to glory, will become the new coach of the American starting in 2027. The past and future of the Valencian together on the same court. Beyond this, the match took on a special dimension following the epic encounter they had in the quarterfinals of the US Open, where the player from Atlanta achieved his first victory against the player from Palma.

This is how Alcaraz's hard-fought victory over Shelton went in the ATP Paris final

The show was guaranteed, but the entertainment was different from two months ago in New York due to the characteristics of the Paris hard court, one of the fastest on the entire circuit. Therefore, the duel was going to be more about serves and returns than incredible rallies. Adding to this were the nerves and tension of a Masters 1000 final.

But this script changes too soon. Because in the fourth game, a series of unforced errors from the Murcian allows Shelton to have a 0-40 to start pulling ahead, but the Spaniard neutralizes all three, in line with the survival shown throughout the week. Still, the American does not back down, taking advantage of Alcaraz's absence of first serves to have two more break points, which he once again defends tooth and nail to win the game. It’s still 2-2, but it's a preview of what's to come.

There is not a moment of respite because now it's Alcaraz who has two break points, and Shelton saves them with a delightful volley and a forehand passing shot. At this point, there are no nerves or constraints, both have taken their shirts off and want to claim the first set by any means necessary.

CARLITOS CONQUERS PARIS 🏆🤩 The moment @carlosalcaraz defeated Shelton to win his fifth title of 2026! #RolexParisMasters https://t.co/XPmP8S69Pe

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 8, 2026

Nonetheless, the Spaniard appears somewhat more uncomfortable both in rallies and with his serve, which is not giving him the free points that Shelton is getting. The American has two more break point chances with 4-3, but Alcaraz copies his tactic and rushes to the net to save the first, while Shelton's forehand is somewhat erratic and he fails to capitalize on the second. It’s 4-4, and the Murcian has now saved six break points. Too close to the edge, too much Alcaraz.

He needs to calm down in the rallies and have a bit more intuition to anticipate Shelton's missiles with his serve, which, aside from those two break points, seems unfazed. However, he cannot capitalize on the set and makes it 5-5. Now any mistake, no matter how minor, could mean a lot. Neither player yields, and this set will be decided in a tiebreak.

The start of the tiebreak shows a more composed Alcaraz securing a mini break, but two errors and a solid defense from Shelton give him the advantage as if it were déjà vu from the super tiebreak of the US Open. However, Carlitos has learned from the mistakes of two months ago, and far from fading, he steps up a gear as the American misses three forehands, leading to a first set filled with skill and resilience from Alcaraz (7-6(5)).

Alcaraz saved six break points to secure the first set

After all the missed opportunities from Shelton, the second set seems to have flipped the script. Now it's him trailing and Alcaraz plays with more freedom. But this excess of confidence costs the Spaniard as a poor service game allows the American from Atlanta to secure his first break of the match.

In the blink of an eye, the joy of the player from El Palmar turns into frustration. He had the match where he wanted, with a dejected Shelton, and now a small dip sees him 4-2 down in the second set. But Alcaraz wouldn't be Alcaraz without these disconnects. So he puts his work clothes back on, aided by an erratic Shelton in decision-making, and breaks the American's serve for the first time to make it 4-4.

With the small crisis resolved, now comes the most challenging part: finishing the job. But far from being overwhelmed, the Murcian does it in his best way: with a smile, fist raised, finger in his ear, and getting the Parisian crowd on their feet. After a match of much restraint, Alcaraz unleashes his full potential at the most crucial moment. No brakes now, and the wave of the Murcian ultimately engulfs a Shelton who increasingly shrinks and becomes less precise in key moments.

In one of the last side changes, he feels the rhythm of the music from the Central Court, laughs, and enjoys. And when Alcaraz enters that mental state, there’s little any opponent can do on the other side of the net. Thus, he puts a fitting end to a great week in Paris by breaking Shelton's serve again, who failed to capitalize on his opportunities, lifting his first Masters 1000 in Paris.

Carlos Alcaraz may not have shown his most devastating version, but he displayed the most efficient to take revenge for what happened at the US Open and cap off a very demanding week, which he managed to overcome with his talent, and above all, his hard work. Ben Shelton tried and came close, but to break down the wall of the Murcian takes a lot of faith, something Juan Carlos Ferrero will explain to him.
 

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