Carlos Alcaraz is the champion of the ATP 500 in Doha – debuts record in the capital of Qatar – after destroying the Frenchman Arthur Fils in a final that barely lasted 50 minutes and in which he won by 6-2 y 6-1. The one from El Palmar was the best in everything on the fast surface of the center court of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
It is the Murcia’s twenty-sixth professional titlenumber 1 in the world, and the second of a year 2026 that for now cannot be more victorious for him.
Alcaraz’s first time as a ‘veteran’
It was the first final that Alcaraz, at 22 years old, faced a rival younger than him, Arthur Fils who, at 21, arrived in Doha being the number 40 player in the ranking – his top is fourteenth place in April 2025 -. The Frenchman had faced the Spaniard twice on the circuit and in both cases the victory went to Carlos last year -4-6, 7-5 and 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters 1,000 and 6-2 and 6-4 in the semifinals of the ATP 500 in Barcelona.
The final was started by Samuel López’s pupil in the best way, with a ‘break’, and continued with his service won to a blank. At the first opportunity he already showed his adversary his intentions. Bondoufle’s talent added in the third game but continued to fall behind because Alcaraz dominated with his forehand and with his serve -two aces until 3-1-.
Furthermore, the El Palmar player continued to threaten the rest and scored his second break against an erratic rival also because he was forced to be so. The set progressed quickly and the 5-1 also came without any concessions from the ATP leader.
Although the tennis player trained by the Croatian Goran Ivanisevic broke the streak and did so with his blank serve, the resolution of this round would come later. With both giving a show, the greater reliability of the Spaniard prevailed, as he finished off the set with a serve that his opponent was unable to return. Half of the work was done after 27 minutes of superiority.
The second, the same story as the first
And he went for the other half. The second set started like the first and he got the break and also in four points and also continued in the same way. At serve he achieved another four, two of them ‘aces’, for 2-0. Between the end of one round and the beginning of the second there were 10 consecutive points for Carlos, who did not stop and went for the sentence. A parallel setback gave him the third game, his fourth break in the match, and Fils, desperate, paid for it with his racket. He violently hit it against the ground until it shattered.
Hitting, but in a different way, is what he continued making number 1 on the circuitwho expanded his income without any problems. Fils, with a good right hand, made his debut in the sleeve and wanted to celebrate with the public but it seemed more like a symbolic gesture because the final had an owner and it wasn’t precisely him.
Alcaraz, very confident at the back of the court and also going up to the net, continued to get closer to his goal and the 5-1 was another very fast serve turn and culminated with the fifth ace of someone who was already caressing the trophy. He grabbed it with both hands, relying on his fifth break, which he also finished in his own way. He guessed the shot to Fils in a smash and his right hand was definitive. The tremendous 52-24 in overall points in the match left no room for doubt of the champion’s manifest superiority.
Immaculate start to the year
“Until this round I had suffered a lot but I knew I could improve and I am more than satisfied with what was done in Doha,” he declared as soon as the duel concluded.
With that victory in a tournament in which curiously he only faced Frenchmen – Arthur Rinderknech, in the first round; Valentin Royer, in second; and Fils himself or the Russians -Karen Khachanov, in the quarterfinals; and Andrey Rublev, in the semifinals- Alcaraz reaches 12 games won, all the ones he played, at the beginning of the yearwhich is the best since he debuted as a professional in 2020. The Murcian is still sweet after having already won the Australian Open and expanding his brilliant record of achievements
