Paris Masters: Alcaraz tames Shelton to finally win the title in Nanterre

The Paris curse is lifted. Carlos Alcaraz won the Rolex Paris Masters on Sunday, beating Ben Shelton 7-6 (5), 7-5 in just under two hours at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre. At his sixth appearance, the 23-year-old Spaniard finally lifted the trophy of a tournament that had long eluded him.

It is his ninth Masters 1000 title, his fifth of the season and the 29th of his career. A week after Vienna, he has now won back-to-back indoor titles and is on a nine-match winning streak, according to AFP.

A final decided by fine margins

The first set went to a tie-break. Alcaraz had first saved six break points, four of them in the fourth game alone, where he trailed 0-40, AP reports. Down 4-3 in the tie-break, he turned it around: a Shelton error, a leaping backhand smash, then an American forehand that sailed long on the second set point.

In the second set, Shelton took the first break of the match to lead 4-2, helped by a double fault and a missed forehand from the Spaniard. Alcaraz immediately levelled at 4-4. At 5-6, the American dropped serve again, and Alcaraz closed it out on his second match point with a backhand down the line. Shelton had hit 12 aces, against 6 for his opponent.

Revenge for the US Open

The win had a flavour of revenge. Shelton had knocked Alcaraz out in the US Open quarter-finals, in a marathon that ended at 3:33am. The Spaniard now leads their head-to-head 4-1. For the American, world number 4 and a two-time winner in Montreal, it was a first defeat in a Masters 1000 final.

Alcaraz, who missed Roland-Garros and Wimbledon with a right wrist injury, said he had been chasing this title for years.

It is something I have been chasing for a long time. Some of the toughest defeats I ever had in my career I have had here.

— Carlos Alcaraz, according to AP

At the trophy ceremony, Shelton paid tribute to his rival, telling him that every time they share a court, Alcaraz brings out the best in him, according to We Love Tennis.

Doubles title for Herbert and Halys

French players also had reason to celebrate. Wildcards Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Quentin Halys won the doubles, beating world number 2 pair Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski 7-6 (3), 6-7 (4), 10-8 on their fourth match point. Herbert, who had already won in Paris in 2019 with Nicolas Mahut, becomes the first Frenchman with eight Masters 1000 doubles titles, according to the FFT. For Halys, it is a first Masters 1000 title in doubles.

Another bright spot: surprise semi-finalist Luca Van Assche rises to 34th in the world this Monday, the highest ranking of his career.

Next stop: Turin

Alcaraz and Shelton will both be at the ATP Finals in Turin, from 15 to 22 November. On the podium, the Spaniard even warned his opponent that he would be a little afraid of him there. The Spaniard will be chasing a first title at the season-ending event.