Carlos Alcaraz Claims Historic Ninth Masters 1000 Crown with Paris Triumph Over Ben Shelton

Carlos Alcaraz captured his ninth ATP Masters 1000 title and first at the Rolex Paris Masters after overcoming American Ben Shelton in straight sets in the final on Sunday.

The World No. 3 defeated the third-seeded Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 in one hour and 57 minutes, gaining late-season revenge for his five-set quarter-final defeat to the American at the US Open in September.

Alcaraz, who returned to action after a four-month layoff due to a wrist injury at the US Open, has since enjoyed a strong run, lifting titles in Tokyo and Vienna before completing his Paris campaign with another trophy. The Spaniard has now won 19 of his 21 matches since returning from injury and improved his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Shelton to 4-1.

The opening set was closely contested, with Shelton putting Alcaraz under pressure early. The Spaniard fought back from 0/40 while serving at 1-2 and saved four break points in the game to keep the set on serve. Shelton also produced two impressive volleys at 3-3 to save a pair of break points.

With neither player able to secure a decisive break, the set went to a tie-break, where Alcaraz held his nerve. He sealed it on his second set point after Shelton sent a forehand long, taking the opener after 65 minutes.

Shelton broke Alcaraz midway through the second set, but the Spaniard responded in the eighth game, producing a series of forehand winners to draw level at 4-4. Alcaraz then carried that momentum into the closing stages and completed the victory on his second match point with a sharp forehand pass before putting away a backhand into the open court.

The triumph makes Alcaraz only the third player in Masters 1000 history, since the series began in 1990, to win titles in five consecutive years, joining Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. He has now won seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments.

The 23-year-old is also the second Spanish player to win the Paris title in the tournament's 40-year history, following David Ferrer, who lifted the trophy in 2012.

Only Jannik Sinner, with six titles, has won more trophies than Alcaraz in 2026. The Spaniard will next compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled from November 15 to 22.

Shelton, meanwhile, was aiming for his third Masters 1000 title after winning in Canada in 2025 and 2026.

The American, who is ranked No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, now has a 1-19 record against players ranked in the top three.

Shelton, meanwhile, was aiming for his third Masters 1000 title after winning in Canada in 2025 and 2026.

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Article Source: IANS