Carlos Alcaraz beats Ben Shelton to win Paris Masters, claims 29th career title

Carlos Alcaraz continued his impressive late-season form by defeating American Ben Shelton 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the Paris Masters final on Sunday, securing his second consecutive title and fifth trophy of the year.

The second-seeded Spaniard claimed the 29th title of his career, adding to his victory in Vienna last Sunday. The triumph also followed his Japan Open success last month, marking a remarkable return to form after recovering from a right wrist injury that had kept him sidelined until late August.

Alcaraz sealed the victory on his second match point with a powerful two-handed backhand winner down the line at the indoor Plenitude Arena. The 23-year-old threw his arms wide in celebration before breaking into a broad smile and appearing briefly overcome with emotion.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion has now won four of his five meetings with Shelton, avenging a defeat to the American in their previous encounter at the US Open two months ago.

That quarterfinal contest had stretched into the early hours, ending at 3.33 am, with Shelton eventually advancing to the final, where he lost to Alexander Zverev.

𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐳 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞

Sunday's final proved a demanding contest for Alcaraz, who faced considerable pressure from Shelton's aggressive serving and powerful groundstrokes.

The Spaniard saved six break points during a closely contested opening set before prevailing 7-5 in the tiebreak.

Shelton continued to challenge his opponent in the second set, breaking Alcaraz's serve to gain an advantage. However, the Spaniard responded immediately by breaking back, preventing the American from consolidating his lead.

Alcaraz maintained his composure during the decisive stages and eventually secured the straight-sets victory with a backhand winner.

His resilience was particularly significant given the challenges he had faced earlier in the tournament.

While Alcaraz had captured the Vienna title without dropping a set, his campaign in Paris was considerably more difficult. He came close to elimination in Friday's quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz, saving two match points before completing a dramatic comeback.

𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞

For Shelton, the defeat ended his hopes of claiming an eighth career title and third Masters crown. The 24-year-old American had previously won the Montreal Masters twice and entered Sunday's final seeking another major achievement.

Despite the disappointment, Shelton displayed strong serving and aggressive baseline play, repeatedly testing Alcaraz throughout the encounter.

The final also carried an interesting coaching connection, with Shelton having recently added Juan Carlos Ferrero to his coaching staff following the Spaniard's separation from Alcaraz last year.

Ferrero had been Alcaraz's long-time coach and played a significant role in his development into one of the world's leading players.

However, there was no indication of tension between the finalists over the coaching arrangement. Both players acknowledged each other's impressive shots during the match, reflecting the mutual respect between them.

Following his victory, Alcaraz walked around the net to embrace Shelton and pat him on the chest, offering a warm gesture of sportsmanship after their competitive encounter.

The Paris triumph further strengthened Alcaraz's remarkable 2026 campaign, with the Spaniard entering the closing stages of the season in outstanding form after overcoming injury concerns earlier in the year.