The last time Carlos Alcaraz faced Arthur Fils: How the match unfolded

It’s Carlos Alcaraz against Arthur Fils in the 2026 Qatar Open final.

Alcaraz secured his spot by beating defending champion Andrey Rublev in straight sets, extending his unbeaten run this season.

The Spaniard is off to a strong start this year and now has the chance to add a second title to his tally.

On the other side of the draw, Fils earned his place in the final by seeing off Jakub Mensik, who had previously taken out Jannik Sinner. This will be just their third meeting on tour. The last one came at the Barcelona Open last year, with Alcaraz winning both times.

Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Fils have only played each other twice in the past

The pair faced off again a week later in the semifinals of an ATP 500 event, adding another chapter to their young rivalry.

Fils put on a strong performance in Monte-Carlo, pushing Alcaraz to three sets and even grabbing the first break of the decider before Alcaraz eventually came out on top.

In Barcelona, though, Alcaraz started much stronger. He took control early and won the first set 6-2, then held off Fils again in a tighter second set to seal the win.

Both of their previous matches were on clay, so the Qatar Open final will be their first meeting on a hard court.

Arthur Fils’ return to the ATP Tour in 2026

Fils has looked sharp in Doha, despite this being just his third event since coming back from injury.

The Frenchman was out for a good chunk of last year after picking up a stress fracture in his back at Roland Garros, finally making his comeback this February.

He started the season in Montpellier, picking up two wins before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.

He then lost his opening match in Rotterdam to Alex de Minaur, but since arriving in Qatar, he’s only dropped one set so far.

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