Ben Shelton has fallen just short of an eighth career title after losing his Paris Masters final with Carlos Alcaraz.
Shelton is also now 1-4 against Alcaraz in their head-to-head record following the Paris Masters defeat, which arrived via a 7-6(7-5), 7-5 scoreline. The Spanish star now has five ATP titles to his name in the 2026 season, one more than his American counterpart.
The pair could go face-to-face again later this month at the ATP Finals, having recently met in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Shelton won that epic encounter in five sets, but felt the full force of a vengeful Alcaraz in the Paris Masters final. The runner-up has now suggested where he went wrong in their latest blockbuster meeting.
Ben Shelton admits what went wrong vs Carlos Alcaraz in Paris final
Shelton spoke in a press conference in Paris after the match, where it was put to him that he used to win a lot of points behind his first serve. Asked what makes it so difficult against Alcaraz, he said: “Yeah, if I want to be, you know, picky about my game, there’s a couple of small areas today I wish I would have been better. One of them was placement of my first serve. I wasn’t accurate. I would have liked to be a lot more accurate.
“Obviously with Carlos’ speed, you feel the pressure of losing the advantage that you have after your serve. He moves so well, gets to the open court so well, anticipates well, and has great passing shots.
“For me, I like to try to finish the point within two shots behind my first serve, or at least end up at the net. It can be difficult with how well he was hitting passing shots today, especially on his forehand.
“So there’s a big combination that makes it tough against him to win at a high percentage on your first serve. Playing against a player of his calibre, I have to be a lot more precise with my first serve to be effective.”
|
B. Shelton |
C. Alcaraz |
|
|
271 |
Serve rating |
296 |
|
12 |
Aces |
6 |
|
1 |
Double faults |
2 |
|
52/80 (65%) |
First serve |
56/78 (72%) |
|
33/52 (63%) |
1st serve points won |
40/56 (71%) |
|
15/28 (54%) |
2nd serve points won |
13/22 (59%) |
|
3/5 (60%) |
Break points saved |
6/7 (86%) |
|
12 |
Service games played |
12 |
He was then reminded of the match in greater detail, and asked if he has a sense of regret or frustration at leading Love-40 in the fourth game, breaking for 4-2. Shelton replied: “Yeah, I mean, there’s plenty of things to be frustrated about on the tennis court. Now kind of live with it and move on.
“But yeah, you’re right. I’m not sure if you were talking about the first or the second set, but I had Love-40, and then 15-40 in the first set, and I would have liked to convert one of those chances and given myself an opportunity to try and serve it out that first set.
“Then obviously being up a break in the second set, the opportunities were there, but when you’re playing against the best in the world, and I’ve seen it many times, the window is small. If you miss your chance, it’s likely that another isn’t going to come. I think obviously it also speaks to his level, his ability to be clutch and defend his serve in difficult situations.”
Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz exchange messages after Paris final
While Shelton was frustrated by the result, he showed great maturity and sportsmanship via a warm embrace with Alcaraz after the match. That mutual respect continued in the speeches, where Alcaraz congratulated Shelton on his week in the French capital.
The niceties have now been extended to social media, where the Paris Masters finalists have exchanged messages. Shelton has posted on his Instagram: “Didn’t go my way today, but these are the type of matchups that I live for. Congrats beast [Carlos Alcaraz]. Back to work tomorrow. Keep going.”
Alcaraz responded with the message: “You’re incredible man,” while their ATP rival Jakub Mensik joined the conversation, commenting: “U are the Champ Ben!”
The Spaniard and the American now have a week to recover from Paris before playing in the ATP Finals, which take place from 15-22 November. Turin’s Inalpi Arena plays host, with Alcaraz aiming to improve upon his runner-up finish from the 2025 season. Defending champion and home favourite Jannik Sinner has ended his campaign, and therefore won’t be launching a title defence.
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Esta notĂcia foi originalmente publicada em: Fonte original