Carlos Alcaraz beats Ben Shelton to win Paris Masters

Carlos Alcaraz has gained a measure of revenge on Ben Shelton as the seven-time Grand Slam champion beat the American 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to win the Paris Masters for the first time. In defeating the man who ended his US Open title defence earlier this season, the 23-year-old claimed the ninth 1000-level title of his career on Sunday.

Unlike their five-set quarterfinal epic in New York two months ago, the clash in Paris lasted just under two hours. Alcaraz bagged a straight sets victory to secure an elusive Paris crown before the upcoming year-end ATP Finals. Coming into Paris on the back of winning the 500-level title in Vienna, the Spaniard has now won his last nine matches.

“Coming here every year, not finding my best tennis but we never gave up,” Alcaraz said after being handed the trophy for the first time by former Paris Masters winner Boris Becker. “We had really painful losses here and we always said try again,” he added with a smile.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets to capture his first Paris Masters title.

Ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin, world number three Alcaraz holds five tour-level titles this year, trailing only the injured Jannik Sinner, who has six. In Italy, Alcaraz will be seeking a first coronation at the season-ender. Following victories at two French Opens and now the Paris Masters, the player remains undefeated in title matches in the French capital. Not for the first time in Paris, Alcaraz won the tournament after saving match points along the way, having done so against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals in scenes reminiscent of his Roland Garros final win against Sinner last year.

For world number four Shelton, the result marked a first defeat in a Masters final after he won his previous two appearances in showpiece matches at that level during the last two editions of the Canadian Open.

Why it matters

This victory marks a significant milestone for Alcaraz as he secures his first Paris Masters title and maintains momentum heading into the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. The triumph adds another major hard-court trophy to his resume and keeps him in strong form as he chases further accolades before the end of the year.