Carlos Alcaraz sent Ben Shelton a clear message, you can take my former coach, but you will never play at my level. The 23-year-old defeated Shelton 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 to win his first Paris Masters title in straight sets
In the first set, both players served well and put each other under pressure. Shelton used his powerful serve and strong forehand, while Alcaraz used his speed and good returns to stay in the game. Neither player managed to break the other’s serve, so the set went to a tie-break. Alcaraz kept his cool and won it 7-5 to take the first set 7-6.
In the second set, Shelton started strongly and broke Alcaraz’s serve to take a 4-2 lead. But Alcaraz fought back, broke Shelton’s serve and levelled the score at 4-4.
The two players continued to produce powerful serves and exciting rallies, but Alcaraz was stronger when it mattered most. At 6-5, he broke Shelton’s serve again and won the set 7-5. Alcaraz took the match in straight sets after a tough battle.
Addressing the crowd and the media on court, Shelton said,” This title is something that we’ve been chasing for a really long time.
“I’ve had a lot of painful losses here, but we never give up. We felt really comfortable coming here this year.”
“I want to give a big congratulations to Carlos.
“I don’t think everybody realises how difficult it is to win back-to-back – from Vienna to Paris. Ten matches in 14 days. It speaks to your versatility as a champion and the work you put in.
“Every time I’m on the court with you, I feel like you bring out the best in me – [I’m] super happy to have you back and healthy.”
Shelton and Alcaraz’s next tournament will be the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, which will take place from November 15 to November 22, 2026.
