Alcaraz reaches the Paris final for the first time – Ruud gets not a single break chance

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Alcaraz reaches the Paris final for the first time – Ruud gets not a single break chance.

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud 6-4 and 6-4 on Saturday evening to reach the final of the Paris Masters 1,000 for the first time. It is another major step for the 23-year-old: in Sunday's final, he could win his fifth title of the season.

The decisive point did not come in a long rally, but in clarity: Ruud was given not a single break chance throughout the match. Alcaraz himself had opportunities to claim the first break of the evening in the third and fifth games. After falling 0-3 in the opening set, he made the decisive move in the seventh game.

Why Alcaraz did not need a tiebreak

According to El País, Alcaraz needed only 1 hour and 26 minutes to defeat the Norwegian. Ruud's physical condition was also a factor: the 29-year-old had already played past midnight against Borges the previous day and appeared increasingly drained during the second half of the duel.

For comparison: Alcaraz lost to Shelton in 4 hours and 28 minutes in the deciding fifth-set super-tiebreak at the US Open. At the Paris Masters, however, Alcaraz produced a considerably more controlled performance. El Español therefore wrote about a precise adjustment of his wrists and a deserved victory without giving his opponent a chance.

Shelton awaits – Ferrero takes over in January

Ben Shelton defeated Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-3 and 6-4 in the second semifinal. The Paris final is now set: Alcaraz against Shelton.

This will be their fifth meeting. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head record with three wins and one defeat. In Paris, the Spaniard could claim another Masters title and his fifth title of the season, after previously winning in Australia, Doha, Tokyo and Vienna. Juan Carlos Ferrero will also begin coaching Shelton in January.

As of: November 7, 2026; further information will follow.