The 29th title of his career: Alcaraz wins the cursed tournament

AFP 08 Nov 2026 18:34+01:00 Translated by After a difficult win Carlos Alcaraz claimed the Paris Masters title for the first time in his career, beating America's Ben Shelton in straight sets, 7-6 (5) and 7-5, in the French capital. The win broke a hoodoo that had long plagued him at the tournament and avenged the defeat Shelton inflicted on him in the quarter-finals of the recent US Open.

The Spaniard ended a 13-year wait for his country to reclaim the title. David Ferrer was the last Spaniard crowned in Paris, back in 2012, and Alcaraz becomes the first since then to lift the trophy, adding another glittering line to his record despite a difficult season. It was his third title since returning from a wrist injury and his second in a row after Vienna last week, taking his tally to five this season.

The timing could hardly be better, handing him a significant morale boost ahead of the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup. A thrilling final Revenge was in the air. Shelton had halted Alcaraz's US Open run in the last eight, but this time the Spaniard handled the pressure better and settled matters in his favour.

The first set was fiercely competitive. Alcaraz saved six break points on his own serve against just two for the American before the pair went to a tie-break, where he came out on top 7-5, punishing Shelton's errors and seizing the decisive moments. Shelton refused to roll over despite losing the first set.

He broke Alcaraz in the second and piled on the pressure after taking the lead, but the Spaniard steadied himself and raised his level, turning a 2-4 deficit into a 5-4 advantage before closing out the set 7-5 to win without a deciding set. There was an extra edge to it all. Shelton has announced that Spanish coach Juan Carlos Ferrero will join his team from 2027, a move that only added to the intrigue between the two players.

Victory handed Alcaraz the 29th title of his professional career and a long-awaited feat in Paris, where previous appearances had never quite reflected his usual level. He also edged closer to completing the full set of Masters 1000 crowns, with only Shanghai and Canada still missing from his collection.

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