Carlos Alcaraz defeated Ben Shelton to claim his first Paris Masters title, then joked that he was “a bit afraid” of the American heading into the final stretch of the season.
Shelton had beaten Alcaraz in a five-set thriller at the US Open earlier this year, a match that finished at 3.33am. The world No. 3 gained revenge at the La Defense Arena, coming from a break down to win 7-6(5) 7-5 in Sunday's final.
Victory and praise for Shelton
After securing his fifth title of the season and his first at the Paris Masters, the Spaniard heaped praise on his rival in his post-match speech.
“For me, first of all I just really want to start with Ben. Such a great week for you, for your team,” the newly-crowned champion said. “You're amazing, man. You're amazing on the court, off the court, you're amazing with your team, tennis-wise, as a person as well. I just really want to [say] congratulations to you. You always show to everybody how a real champion is, to be honest.”
Looking ahead to the ATP Finals
Alcaraz also looked forward to the ATP Finals, where Shelton is set to compete. “After a defeat, after not finding great feelings, you always bounce back even stronger, and I'm pretty sure next week in the [ATP] Finals you're going to be back even stronger. I'm going to be afraid a little bit of you! But just congratulations to you for everything you've done, and obviously your team and your family. Great people as well, and great professionals, so congratulations to you as well.”
The win marks a significant milestone for Alcaraz, who added the Paris Masters trophy to his season's haul.
