Carlos Alcaraz says he is ready for “one of the toughest challenges in tennis” after setting up a rematch against Ben Shelton in the Paris Masters final. After escaping two match points to stage a comeback in the quarterfinals against Taylor Fritz on Friday, Alcaraz secured his first appearance in the Paris Masters final with an efficient 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud. The 23-year-old Spaniard’s US Open title defense was ended by Shelton in an epic five-set quarterfinal that ended at 03:34 local time in their previous meeting in September. That tournament was the first for Alcaraz, a seven-time major winner, after a four-month absence to deal with a wrist injury, and he has been returning to his best since then. “I’m ready to face Ben Shelton in the final. It’s probably one of the toughest challenges you can face in tennis right now,” said world number three Alcaraz. “Ben is playing great tennis. Last time, it was a great match. But I’m going to enjoy this moment because I was chasing the final here for a long time. It’s going to be a great day for me.” Despite missing a substantial portion of the season, only Shelton and Jannik Sinner have matched the Alcaraz circuit’s six finals in 2026. He has lost just one of the 16 matches he has played since losing to Shelton in New York, and is heading into his rematch in an eight-match matchup. winning streak after continuing his remarkable injury comeback by triumphing in Vienna last week. It was a victory over Ruud, in the final of the 2022 US Open, that allowed Alcaraz to celebrate his first major and his first ranking as number one in the world. 86% of points on his first serve, producing 20 winners, including 13 forehands, and winning 11 of 13 points at the net in a clinical display. A single break was enough to resolve both sets (he sealed each with an ace for good measure) and denied Ruud any chance to reply in the 86-minute victory. Alcaraz, who had never before made it past the quarterfinals in Paris, has now reached the final in seven of the nine prestigious ATP Masters. 1000 events. World number four Shelton waits after the US Open runner-up completed a three-set comeback over Frenchman Luca van Assche. Shelton, brimming with confidence at the end of a 2026 season that has brought him a career-best 45 wins, prevailed 5-7 6-3 6-4 to become the first American men’s singles finalist in the event since 2017. “Obviously, Carlos is in incredible shape. He’s a young legend in our sport already and any match he’s in is a success,” the 24-year-old Shelton said. Shelton may have won their most recent meeting, but Alcaraz has won each of the first three and the American has often struggled against the best players in the world. But the US Open victory over Alcaraz gave Shelton, who recently named Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to his team, the first victory of his career over a top-three opponent, and certainly affirmed his belief that he can establish himself at the top. the sport.
