Alcaraz Faces Shelton in Paris Masters Final

Carlos Alcaraz said it out loud. “I really want to take revenge against Ben,” the Spaniard said after reaching his first Rolex Paris Masters final, and on Sunday he gets the chance. No. 3 Alcaraz meets No. 4 Ben Shelton for the title at Plenitude Arena, not before 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), the ATP Tour reported.

It is the last Masters 1000 final of the season and the first time these two have met in a final. Both are headed to the Nitto ATP Finals next, so Sunday is the statement before Turin.

The US Open Still Hangs Over It

Shelton won their last meeting, a five-set quarterfinal at the US Open in September that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in the history of the tournament. Alcaraz still leads the head-to-head 3-1, and he won their only indoor match, at the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin.

There is a new twist too. A week ago Shelton announced that Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz’s longtime former coach, is joining his team for 2027. Alcaraz said he plans to handle the big moments differently than he did in New York.

Alcaraz Is Rolling

The streak is eight matches, starting with the Vienna title last week. He saved two match points against Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals, then beat Casper Ruud in straight sets without facing a break point in the semis. This is his 11th Masters 1000 final and the seventh different event where he has reached one.

He had never been past the quarterfinals in Paris before this week. A title would be the biggest indoor trophy of his career and his 10th Masters crown.

Shelton’s Serve Is the Equalizer

Shelton has won both of his Masters 1000 finals, in Toronto in 2025 and Montreal this year. This is his first one outside Canada. He came from a set down to beat home favorite Luca Van Assche on Saturday, his third straight three-setter in Paris.

The fast indoor court suits a lefty with one of the biggest first serves on Tour. If he is landing it, Alcaraz’s return game gets squeezed, and that is how Shelton won in New York.

“It’s a great matchup against a high-calibre player and I think it could be really exciting,” Shelton said. On this surface, with this history, that undersells it.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean Alcaraz to win the Paris final. He is on an eight-match streak, won the only indoor meeting, and did not face a break point against Ruud. If Shelton is holding easily through the first several service games, switch the lean to over on total games instead of picking a side.