Home Tennis Masters 1000 Paris Masters: Shelton Battles Through as Alcaraz Sets Up Final Showdown

Paris Masters: Shelton Battles Through as Alcaraz Sets Up Final Showdown

November 7, 2026

Paris Masters: Shelton Battles Through as Alcaraz Sets Up Final Showdown

7 November 2026

Two places in the final, two very different routes to get there. Saturday’s Rolex Paris Masters singles semifinals gave us a comeback from Ben Shelton and a straight-sets victory for Carlos Alcaraz. They will meet for the trophy on Sunday, with both chasing their first Paris title.

Shelton had to work for his opportunity. The American defeated Luca Van Assche 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, ending French hopes of a home singles champion after two hours and 16 minutes. Van Assche took the opening set and, even after Shelton levelled, moved 3–1 ahead in the decider. At that stage, the final was within reach.

That is what makes this result so frustrating for the Frenchman. He had created a winning position, but Shelton responded immediately. A double fault helped surrender the break, and the American took five of the last six games to finish the job.

For me, the comeback is the main takeaway. Shelton’s power will always attract attention, but recovering when the scoreboard is against you deserves just as much credit. Van Assche can take encouragement from how close he came, although that will probably offer little comfort tonight.

Alcaraz’s 6–4, 6–4 victory over Casper Ruud was a more controlled affair. He broke in the seventh game of the opening set, then made his move at 4–4 in the second before serving out the match. He needed 86 minutes to secure his place in his first Paris Masters final.

Ruud stayed competitive, but Alcaraz gave him precious little opportunity on return. The Spaniard won 78 per cent of his first-serve points and 86 per cent behind his second delivery. Those figures help explain why two relatively close sets never became a prolonged struggle.

My reading of the final is that Shelton needs to establish himself early. He proved today that he can recover from trouble, but allowing Alcaraz to settle would make Sunday a demanding assignment.

Alcaraz gets my narrow vote on the evidence of these semifinals. His efficiency was impressive. Shelton, however, has earned his chance—and after escaping a difficult position today, he has every reason to believe he can finish the week with the trophy.