Carlos Alcaraz says he’s prepared for “one of the tough challenges in tennis” after establishing a rematch towards Ben Shelton within the Paris Masters closing.
After escaping two match factors to drag off a comeback in his quarter-final towards Taylor Fritz on Friday, Alcaraz secured his first look within the Paris showpiece with an environment friendly 6-4 6-4 win over Casper Ruud.
The 23-year-old Spaniard’s US Open title defence was ended by Shelton in an epic five-set quarter-final which ended at 03:34 native time of their earlier assembly in September.
That event was seven-time main winner Alcaraz’s first following a four-month absence to take care of a wrist harm – and he has been constructing again in the direction of his scintillating finest ever since.
“I am able to tackle Ben Shelton within the closing. It’s most likely one of the tough challenges you possibly can face in tennis proper now,” mentioned world quantity three Alcaraz.
“Ben is taking part in nice tennis. Final time, it was a hell of a match. However I’ll get pleasure from this second as a result of I used to be chasing the ultimate right here for a very long time. It’s going to be a giant day for me.”
Regardless of lacking a considerable a part of the season, solely Shelton and Jannik Sinner have matched Alcaraz’s six tour-level finals in 2026.
He has misplaced simply one of many 16 matches he has contested since shedding to Shelton in New York, and heads into their rematch on an eight-match successful streak after persevering with his outstanding harm comeback by triumphing in Vienna final week.
It was a victory over Ruud, within the 2022 US Open closing, which allowed Alcaraz to have fun his maiden main and first world primary rating.
Persevering with his push to re-establish himself on the high of the lads’s recreation after long-term harm, Alcaraz proved a category above in his newest encounter with the Norwegian within the French capital on Saturday.
Alcaraz demonstrated all-court superiority as he ended the match having received 86% of factors on his first serve, producing 20 winners – together with 13 from the forehand – and successful 11 of 13 factors on the internet in a medical show.
A single break was sufficient to settle each units – he sealed every with an ace for good measure – and denying Ruud any alternatives to answer within the 86-minute win.
Alcaraz, who had by no means beforehand gone past the quarter-finals in Paris, has now reached the ultimate at seven of the 9 prestigious ATP Masters 1000 occasions.
World quantity 4 Shelton awaits after the US Open runner-up accomplished a three-set comeback victory over Frenchman Luca van Assche.
Shelton, filled with confidence late in a 2026 season which has introduced a career-best 45 wins, prevailed 5-7 6-3 6-4 to turn into the primary American males’s singles finalist on the occasion since 2017.
“Clearly Carlos is in wonderful type. He is a younger legend in our sport already and any match he’s in is blockbuster,” 24-year-old Shelton mentioned.
Shelton might have received their most up-to-date assembly, however Alcaraz received every of their first three and the American has usually struggled towards the world’s finest gamers.
However the US Open win over Alcaraz gave Shelton, who just lately appointed Alcaraz’s former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to his staff, his first profession win over a top-three opponent – and undoubtedly affirmed his perception that he can set up himself on the high of the game.
