Paris, November 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Carlos Alcaraz defeated American Ben Shelton in straight sets to claim his maiden Rolex Paris Masters title on Sunday, becoming only the third player in ATP Masters 1000 history to win tournament titles in five consecutive years.
The 23-year-old Spaniard, seeded second, overcame third seed Shelton 7-6(5), 7-5 in a closely contested final lasting one hour and 57 minutes. The victory also marked Alcaraz’s ninth Masters 1000 crown and gave him late-season revenge for his five-set quarter-final defeat against Shelton at the US Open in September.
With this achievement, Alcaraz joined Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the only players to have won Masters 1000 titles in five successive years since the series began in 1990.
The Spaniard has now won seven of the nine tournaments in the Masters 1000 category. He also became only the second Spanish player to lift the Paris trophy in its 40-year history, following David Ferrer, who won it in 2012.
The final saw both players produce strong performances, with neither able to establish control in the opening set. Alcaraz saved four break points while serving at 1-2 before taking the set in a tie-break after Shelton sent a forehand long.
Shelton managed to break Alcaraz in the second set, but the Spaniard fought back in the eighth game with a series of powerful forehand winners to level the score at 4-4. Alcaraz maintained the pressure in the closing stages and sealed the championship with a forehand passing shot before finishing with a backhand into the open court.
The Paris triumph continues an impressive comeback for Alcaraz following a wrist injury that had kept him out for four months before his return at the US Open. He has since won titles in Tokyo and Vienna and has registered 19 victories in 21 matches since returning to competition.
His head-to-head record against Shelton now stands at 4-1.
Alcaraz will next turn his attention to the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled from November 15 to 22. He is second only to Jannik Sinner, who has won six titles, in the 2026 trophy count.
Shelton, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to secure his third Masters 1000 title. The American, who has won tournaments in Canada in 2025 and 2026, now has a 1-19 record against opponents ranked in the world’s top three.
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