Alcaraz beats Shelton to win Paris Masters title for the first time
Carlos Alcaraz has won the Paris Masters title for the first time. In the final, he beat Ben Shelton of the United States 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 in straight sets. The Spanish star claimed the title ahead of the year-end ATP Finals.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz also gained a measure of revenge on Shelton with this win. It was Shelton who had ended his US Open title defence earlier this season.
Unlike their five-set quarter-final epic in New York two months ago, the clash in Paris lasted just under two hours. With this win, the 23-year-old Alcaraz claimed the ninth 1000-level title of his career.
After being handed the trophy for the first time by former Paris Masters winner Boris Becker, Alcaraz said, "Coming here every year, not finding my best tennis but we never gave up." With a smile, the Spanish star added, "We had really painful losses here and we always said try again."
The ATP Finals will be held in Turin from 15 to 22 November. World number three Alcaraz now holds five tour-level titles this year — only the injured Jannik Sinner has more, with six.
Alcaraz came into Paris on the back of winning the 500-level title in Vienna. With this win, he has won his last nine matches. In Italy, he will be seeking a first coronation at the season-ender.
After winning two French Opens and now the Paris Masters, Alcaraz is undefeated in title matches in the city of Paris.
But not for the first time in the French capital, Alcaraz won the title by saving match points en route — this time against Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, in scenes reminiscent of his iconic Roland Garros final win against Sinner last year.
For world number four Shelton, it was a first defeat in a Masters final after winning his two previous appearances in showpiece matches at that level — both coming in the last two editions of the Canadian Open.
This Paris title adds another milestone to Alcaraz's season. Ahead lies the ATP Finals in Turin, where he will aim to become champion for the first time.
