Carlos Alcaraz defeated Ben Shelton 7-6 (5), 7-5 to win the Paris Masters for the first time, securing his ninth ATP Masters 1000 title. The Spaniard avenged his US Open quarter-final loss to the American, who had beaten him in a four-and-a-half-hour thriller in September. This victory makes Alcaraz the first Spanish player to claim this trophy since David Ferrer in 2012. He now heads into the ATP Finals in Turin with a nine-match winning streak after also triumphing in Vienna. Only Canada and Shanghai remain between him and emulating Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner as the third man to win all nine Masters 1000 events.
A tense battle of nerves
Alcaraz saved all six break points against him in the opening set, displaying indomitable spirit. Both players showed admirable poise under pressure, with Shelton also seeing off two break points before the tie-break. The Spaniard won four of the final five points from 4-3 down to take the first set. In the second set, Shelton capitalized on an error-strewn third service game to go 3-2 up. He extended that lead with two aces in the following game, but Alcaraz fought back with a break of his own to make it 4-4. The world No 3 landed two cross-court winners as Shelton netted a forehand and went long with another. With Alcaraz leading 6-5, Shelton stumbled again while serving to stay in the match. He overshot two forehands before Alcaraz clinched victory with a perfectly timed backhand down the line. It was a fourth career title for Alcaraz after being match points down at a tournament.
Post-match reflections
Alcaraz pointed to his ear to call for more noise from the crowd after holding for a 5-4 advantage. His confidence was clear as he danced to the music inside the stadium during the change of ends. "Today, it was one of the toughest challenges we have in tennis right now, facing Ben Shelton," Alcaraz said after the match. He noted that Shelton is doing better with every tournament, making future encounters even tougher. The Australian Open champion has won three titles since the heartbreak at Flushing Meadows. He looks to end the year on a bright note at the ATP Finals starting next Sunday, followed by the Davis Cup finals later this month. Shelton was left frustrated by an erratic forehand, overshooting the baseline three times in the first-set tie-break. Alcaraz will seek a statement victory in Turin to close out a challenging year that began with becoming the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.
