Carlos Alcaraz, the world No 3, avenged his US Open defeat by Ben Shelton to win the Paris Masters on Sunday, securing his ninth ATP 1000 title. Alcaraz edged the American 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the final.
The Spaniard controlled the match from the baseline, becoming the first player from Spain to win the tournament since David Ferrer in 2012. Shelton reportedly struggled with an erratic forehand during the contest.
Alcaraz stated that facing Shelton is "one of the toughest challenges we have in tennis right now." He added, "I’m just really happy that I found the way." This win marks Alcaraz's third title since the US Open.
The first set was decided in a tie-break, where Shelton made several errors. In the second set, Shelton initially took a 3-2 lead, but Alcaraz broke back to level at 4-4. Alcaraz then clinched the victory when Shelton faltered while serving to stay in the match.