By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, November 8, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Bopping his head to the beat of music blaring at the Plenitude Arena, Carlos Alcaraz was a man in motion even during changeovers.
Tennis’ explosive entertainer rocked the house in Paris.
A dynamic Alcaraz beat Ben Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 in today’s Rolex Paris Masters final winning his ninth ATP Masters 1000 championship in style.
It is the ninth straight win for Alcaraz, who turned fall indoor season into his personal dance party high-stepping his way to championships in Tokyo, Vienna and now his maiden Paris Indoors crown. Alcaraz said defusing Shelton’s lethal lefty serve and engaging in rallies helped him turn the match around.
“His serves were coming like bombs—it was really difficult,” Alcaraz told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj afterward. “I felt if I put the return in then it was really quite easy for him to dominate the point.
“I was trying to stay strong mentally, playing my tennis, focus on my level, on my serve, on how I play from the baseline. Trying to take those little moments he allowed me to stay in the rally and I think that made me believe I could actually break his serve and could really be up in the match. Feeling comfortable from the baseline. So I’m really happy with everything I’ve done this week.”
The City of Light has been both an exhilarating and excruciating destination for Alcaraz.
The two-time Roland Garros champion famously saved three consecutive championship points out-dueling arch rival Jannik Sinner in an epic 5 hours, 29-minute Roland Garros final in 2025—the longest French Open final in history. Yet, Alcaraz also suffered agonizing Paris Indoor losses to Hugo Gaston, Holger Rune, Roman Safiullin, Ugo Humbert and Cameron Norrie.
This week, a determined Alcaraz denied two match points out-dueling Taylor Fritz, 6-7(10), 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Today, Alcaraz saved six of seven break points rallying from a 2-4 second-set deficit, winning five of the final six games to collect his 29th career championship.
“This is something we’ve been chasing for a really long time, finding the great feeling coming here every year, not finding my great tennis, but we never gave up,” said Alcaraz, who joins Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal as the third man to win at least one Masters 1000 title for five consecutive years.” I just had really painful losses here, but we tried next year and we tried and tried again and we felt really comfortable coming here.
“And it is because of the work we’ve been doing lately as a team. Always forward. So I say really thank you and my parents are over there as well and I want to say thank you for coming. I love you so much thank you.”
Australian Open champion Alcaraz embraced his team and his parents after defeating Shelton for the fourth time in five meetings, avenging a marathon five-set US Open quarterfinal loss that ended at 3:30 a.m. in Flushing Meadows.
The 23-year-old Spanish superstar received the distinctive Paris Fanti Tree trophy from Hall of Famer Boris Becker. Alcaraz, who missed more than four months of the season due to a right wrist injury, joins Sinner (six titles) as the second man to collect five championships in 2026.
Across the net, Shelton, who has hired Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to join his coaching team in 2027, showed the all-court skills that should make him a major champion someday.
The pair shared an embrace at net with Shelton praising Alcaraz’s adaptability and commitment to the cause.
“I want to give a big congratulations to Carlos, of course, and your team,” Shelton said. “I don’t think everyone realizes how difficult it is to go back to back in Vienna and Paris—10 matches in 14 days two weeks—going from a slow court to a very fast court.
“I think it speaks to your versatility as a champion, the work that you and your team put in. Every time we’re on the court together you bring out the best in me. I get better every time I’m on the court with you and super happy to have you back and healthy.”
At the tender age of 23, Alcaraz adds another championship chapter to his impressive history. Alcaraz has now won seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events—and won five tournament titles in a season for the fourth time.
In the third game, Shelton challenged the Spaniard’s serve earning four break points. Alcaraz deployed his variety and quick court coverage winning an 18-shot rally to save the third break point. Backing his second serve on a fourth break point, Alcaraz took a forehand on the rise and ripped a winner down the line.
Surviving that eight-minute stress test, Alcaraz erupted in a roar, holding for 2-All.
Midway through the set, each man showed superb net skills saving a break point.
In the seventh game, Shelton saved two break points—including an amazing acute-angled forehand drop volley on the second—then made a superb stab volley that helped him hold for 4-3.
Serving with new balls, Alcaraz saved two break points in the eighth game. On the second break point, Alcaraz dug out a low backhand volley nearly off his shoelaces, then guessed right and snapped a forehand volley. That net stand helped the Spaniard even after eight games.
Alcaraz snapped an ace wide sealing his third love hold of the final to force the tie break.
Given the fact both men have been excellent tie break performers this season, surprisingly seven of the first nine points were mini breaks.
The Vienna champion drilled a diagonal forehand winner then elevated for a Marcel Rios-esque leaping backhand drive volley winner to earn double set point. On the first set point, Alcaraz’s backhand crashed into the tape and crawled back on his side.
On the second set point, the pair went toe-to-toe in a baseline exchange that ended with a wild forehand miss from Shelton. Alcaraz snatched a pressure-packed 65-minute opener with a shout toward his box.
The Australian Open champion betrayed his own cause with a double fault and forehand down the line that went long, ceding the first break of the final and a 3-2 lead to Shelton.
The left-hander confirmed the break at love for 4-2.
One hundred minutes into the match, Shelton’s ambition got the best of him. The American’s approaches were too central and Alcaraz punished him with passes for break points. Shelton mis-timed a forehand and flailed it well long as Alcaraz broke back in the seventh game.
Hitting big on his forehand, Shelton sailed a drive deep to face two championship points.
Alcaraz ended with explosive athleticism rapping a forehand down one sideline, sprinting left then banging a backhand pass down the opposite sideline for his ninth straight win—and ninth Masters 1000 title.
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