Ben Shelton lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris Masters final on Sunday, falling 7-6(5) 7-5 despite holding a break lead in the second set. The world No. 4 had never lost a championship match at this level before, and the defeat denied him a third Masters 1000 title.
Alcaraz's Winning Streak
Alcaraz's victory extends his winning streak to nine matches, following his Vienna Open triumph just seven days earlier. Shelton acknowledged the difficulty of that achievement, saying: "I want to give a big congratulations to Carlos and your team. I don't think anybody realises how difficult it is to go back-to-back in Vienna and Paris, 10 matches in 14 days."
He continued: "It speaks to your versatility as a champion and the work you guys put in. I feel like I get better every time I'm on court with you. Super happy to have you back and healthy."
Thanks to Tournament and Fans
Shelton also thanked the tournament organisers and staff, saying: "To the French Federation, the tournament directors, the volunteers, transportation, the ball kids, umpires, practice desk. Everybody who makes this tournament possible."
He added: "It's quickly turned into one of my favourite Masters 1000s. This venue is amazing, and you guys continue to level up every year, so congratulations for everything you've built here and thanks for an amazing tournament."
Like Alcaraz, Shelton had never advanced beyond the quarter-finals at the Paris Masters before this year. He came from a set down to beat two Frenchmen, Arthur Rinderknech and Luca Van Assche, during the week, and thanked the crowd for their fairness.
"I want to speak to the fans. It's been amazing this week. I've played in some awesome atmospheres, playing against French players. The atmosphere was amazing today as well, so thank you guys, I really appreciate it," he said.
He concluded with a message to his team and family: "Last but not least, to my team, to my parents who are over there as well. We put in a lot of work this year. A lot of weeks that you guys have been travelling with me, and we've been grinding it out. We got two more, not quite done yet, but thank you guys for your commitment to me, and the work continues. Love you guys."
