Just 60 days after his comeback tournament was ended in a late-night New York blockbuster against Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz took his revenge.
In doing so, the Spaniard offered the latest indication that his ascension back to the top of the men’s game is nearing completion.
Alcaraz exceeded expectations when, on his return from four months out with a wrist injury, he reached the US Open quarter-finals in September before going out in an astonishing five-set epic against rising American star Shelton.
In the two months since, Alcaraz has won three titles and lost once in 17 matches.
Victory over world number four Shelton on Sunday sealed the 23-year-old’s first triumph at the prestigious Paris Masters 1000 tournament.
It also confirmed a fully-fit Alcaraz, who has now won seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events, will once again be ready to compete for the sport’s major prizes in 2027.
Following his 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 triumph, Alcaraz said: “It’s something I’ve been chasing for a long time. I had some of the toughest losses of my career here.
“Today was one of the toughest challenges we have in tennis right now, facing Ben. Great champion, great player, great person. He is doing better and better every tournament. From here, it is going to be even tougher facing him.
“I’m just really happy that I finally got it. This tournament is really special.”