Carlos Alcaraz ’s excellent comeback continued as he defeated Ben Shelton 7-6(5) 7-5 to claim the Paris Masters title for the first time.

World No 3 Alcaraz missed nearly five months of the 2026 season with a wrist injury and his initial comeback came to an end at Shelton’s hands, with the American triumphing in a epic five-setter in the US Open quarter-finals.

Since then Alcaraz has lifted ATP 500 titles in Tokyo and Vienna, the latter just last week.

Despite not playing at his fluid best he scraped through in Paris - saving two match points against Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals - and he continued his late-season surge with victory in an entertaining encounter between two of the tour’s flair players and his first meeting with Shelton since New York.

Shelton made an assured start on serve and it was Alcaraz who came under pressure first, falling 0-40 down as the American led 2-1.…