Carlos Alcaraz reigned supreme in Doha, extending his unbeaten start to the season to 12 matches while claiming the 26th title of his glittering young career.
The human highlight reel was at it again, producing tennis that could have been cooked up in Frankenstein’s laboratory: one part Nadal’s tenacity and never-say-die attitude; one part Federer’s composure and volleying skills; one part Djokovic’s serve and return mechanics. For those looking for a bit of a shakeup in Sinneraz’s dominance, there were some rays of hope. But those came crushing down in one of the most one-sided finals in recent ATP history. Let’s look at how the tournament reflects the current state of men’s tennis.
Mensik keeps Sinner in Czech
Jakub Mensik’s quarterfinal triumph over hardcourt impresario Jannik Sinner was- to me- the real news of the week. I will get into Alcaraz’s brilliance a bit later, but that almost goes without saying. Sinner’s defeat marked the first time that the Italian hadn’t progressed beyond the quarterfinal stage of an event- excluding his withdrawal in Shanghai- since last year’s Halle Open. Sinner, who somehow contrived to lose to Djokovic in Melbourne, has now gone 2-2 in his last four matches. He is attempting to refine his game, looking to add more dimension to catch up with the multi-faceted Alcaraz. I think that presents an opportunity for some of the pretenders to pick up when that they may not have gotten last year.
Mensik a real threat going forward
Could Jakub Mensik be a legitimate threat on this year’s Grand Slam circuit? The big-serving Czech is developing a bit of a reputation as a giant killer, defeating Djokovic in last year’s Miami final before this massive triumph over Sinner. He started this year in incredible fashion, winning in Auckland before withdrawing ahead of his 4th round Aussie Open clash with Djokovic (where he could have been extremely competitive). His semifinal loss to Fils ended his ten-match winning streak. Still, he has remarkable variety for such a big guy and has shown his aptitude against the world’s top players. Curiously, the Czech is still yet to meet Alcaraz in his professional career. Given his current form, that should be rectified soon enough.
That Khachanov resistance!
Let’s just give a bit of a shout-out to Russian Energizer Bunny Karen Khachanov. He gave us a template for how to (almost) beat Carlos Alcaraz: play the best tennis of your life. Honestly, the two-time Grand Slam semifinalist played arguably his best career match in his quarterfinal clash with Alcaraz, going toe-to-toe with the Spaniard in some of the most entertaining tennis I have ever seen. It had shades of the 2022 Miami Open match between Alcaraz and Kecmanovic, which announced Alcaraz’s arrival on the world stage (at least to me). Regardless of the result, it was encouraging to see a baseliner mixing it up with Alcaraz, matching his variety and overall hustle.
Fils partnership with Ivanisevic reaps immediate rewards
Frenchman Arthur Fils enjoyed a magnificent run in Doha, reaching his first final in 16 months in a wonderful statement of intent for the upcoming season. The Frenchman is one of the great young talents on tour, winning two ATP 500 events in 2024 before reaching a career-high ranking of 14 last year. But his 2025 campaign was derailed after he sustained a stress fracture in his back at Roland Garros (such cruel timing when you looked at his trajectory). He only competed in one more event all season and appears to have finally gotten back to tiptop shape. Fils was elegance personified in his quarterfinal and semifinal clashes, beating the dangerous Czech duo of Lehecka and Mensik in straight sets. Sure, he was schooled by Alcaraz in an absurdly one-sided final. But this is just the beginning of his exciting new partnership with Goran Ivanisevic. Also, Ivanisevic understands how to deal with near-misses and should be able to help Fils through the trauma of that final.
Alcaraz inches closer to perfection
Despite all the upheaval in the draw, Carlos Alcaraz maintained the status quo with a dominant performance that final. Alcaraz needed just 50 minutes to subdue Fils 6-1, 6-2, making it the shortest completed match of the Spaniard’s career. He hit 18 winners to Fils’ three and never faced a single break point in the entire match. And the way he slapped that forehand crosscourt on match-point! I haven’t seen that much disdain since Will Smith offered Chris Rock some kind advice at the Oscars. With every outing, Alcaraz seems to be propelling the game into new, unexplored territory. I just hope that others- besides Sinner- will follow.
