Carlos Alcaraz believes he is prepared for “one of the most difficult challenges in tennis” after booking a rematch against Ben Shelton in the Paris Masters final.
After fending off two match points to stage a comeback victory against Taylor Fritz on Friday, Alcaraz earned his first-ever spot in the Paris final with a sharp 6-4 6-4 win over Casper Ruud.
The 23-year-old Spaniard saw his US Open title defence come to an end at the hands of Shelton in a thrilling five-set quarter-final that concluded at 03:34 local time during their previous clash in September.
That event was seven-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz’s first appearance following a four-month layoff due to a wrist injury, and he has been working his way back to his top form ever since.
“I’m ready to take on Ben Shelton in the final. It is probably one of the most difficult challenges you can face in tennis right now,” stated world number three Alcaraz.
“Ben is playing great tennis. Last time, it was a hell of a match. But I’m going to enjoy this moment because I was chasing the final here for a long time. It is going to be a big day for me.”
Despite missing a large part of the year, only Shelton and Jannik Sinner have equalled Alcaraz’s mark of six tour-level finals in 2026.
He has suffered just a single loss across the 16 matches played since his defeat to Shelton in New York, entering their rematch on an eight-match win streak after continuing his impressive return from injury by claiming the title in Vienna last week.
It was a victory over Ruud in the 2022 US Open final that enabled Alcaraz to capture his initial major trophy and achieve the world number one ranking for the first time.
Continuing his drive to reclaim his place at the summit of the men’s game following his lengthy injury break, Alcaraz showed he was a cut above in his latest battle against the Norwegian in Paris on Saturday.
Alcaraz showcased complete dominance across the court, taking 86% of points on his first serve, recording 20 winners—including 13 on the forehand side—and winning 11 of 13 net points in a masterful performance.
A single break of serve per set was sufficient to decide the contest—he ended both with an ace—while denying Ruud any break point opportunities during the 86-minute match.
Alcaraz, who had never progressed past the quarter-finals in Paris before, has now reached the final at seven of the nine prestigious ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
World number four Shelton lies in wait after the US Open runner-up completed a three-set comeback victory against French player Luca van Assche.
Shelton, brimming with confidence late in a 2026 season that has yielded a career-best 45 wins, prevailed 5-7 6-3 6-4 to become the first American male singles finalist at the event since 2017.
“Obviously Carlos is in amazing form. He’s a young legend in our sport already and any match he is in is blockbuster,” said the 24-year-old Shelton.
Although Shelton emerged victorious in their most recent meeting, Alcaraz had won their first three matches, and the American has frequently struggled when facing top-ranked opponents.
However, that US Open win against Alcaraz gave Shelton, who recently hired Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, his first career triumph against a top-three player—undoubtedly cementing his belief that he can compete at the highest tier of the sport.
