Alcaraz avenges US Open defeat to beat Shelton for Paris Masters title

Carlos Alcaraz won the Paris Masters on Sunday with a 7-6(5), 7-5 victory over Ben Shelton, claiming the ninth ATP 1000 title of his career and avenging his defeat to the American at the US Open quarter-finals in September.

The world No 3 became the first Spaniard to lift the trophy since David Ferrer in 2012, according to Guardian Sport, with his baseline control proving decisive against a Shelton forehand that grew increasingly erratic as the match wore on.

"Today, it was one of the toughest challenges we have in tennis right now, facing Ben Shelton," Alcaraz said afterwards, reflecting on the four-and-a-half-hour thriller that had ended his US Open title defence back in September.

He added that Shelton was "doing better and better with every tournament so it's going to be even tougher facing him. So I'm just really happy that I found the way."

The opening set went the distance to a tie-break, where Shelton sent three forehands beyond the baseline to hand Alcaraz the set.

Tennis365 reported that Alcaraz had to save all six break points he faced on serve across that opening hour, having rallied from a minibreak down in the tie-break itself.

Shelton responded in the second set, exploiting two Alcaraz double faults and a string of wayward topspin shots to move 3-2 ahead, then stretching the lead further with a pair of aces in the following game.

Alcaraz hit back immediately, levelling at 4-4 with two cross-court winners as Shelton netted one forehand and sprayed another long.

Serving to stay in the match at 5-6 down, Shelton again found the forehand error, overshooting twice to hand Alcaraz the set and the title.

Tennis365 noted that Alcaraz had also fallen a break down earlier in that second set before fighting back to close out the 7-6(5), 7-5 victory, securing his first title in Paris and his first Masters 1000 crown since the 2025 Cincinnati Open.

The win extended Alcaraz's run to nine consecutive matches, having lifted the ATP 500 title in Vienna the previous weekend, and took him to three tournament victories from his last four.

His route to the final had taken him past Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals, a result that made it eight straight wins and delivered an 11th Masters final appearance but his first in the French capital, Independent Sport reported.

Ruud kept the early exchanges tight, surviving some early scares on his own delivery, but Alcaraz eventually broke for a 4-3 lead and served out the opening set with a 130mph ace.

The second set stayed on serve until Alcaraz broke for a 5-4 lead and closed out victory in 97 minutes, having previously saved two match points against Taylor Fritz in the round before.

"This tournament has always been really tough for me. I've struggled every time," Ruud said of his history in Paris.

Shelton's path to the final had taken longer, with the American needing two hours and 17 minutes to see off home favourite Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 earlier on the same day as the final.

That effort left Shelton facing Alcaraz with little recovery time, and the Spaniard's composure in the closing stages proved the difference between the pair in Paris.