The last time Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz met on the court, the duo brought the house down at the Arthur Ashe Stadium with a five-set epic at the US Open. Now with the season coming to an end, the pair are set for another clash at the Paris Masters Finals. Still, off the court there has been a significant development involving the two, with the Spaniard’s longtime coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, set to join Shelton’s team from next season. However, as the American revealed, even though he and Alcaraz were competitors, he did the gentlemanly thing before the move hit the news.

“Obviously I reached out to him before the news dropped,” said Shelton during a Tennis Channel interview after his semifinal win at the Paris Masters. “I wanted to let him know because I know how long and successful their relationship has been. I don’t know that there’s a better guy on tour than Carlos Alcaraz. He hit me back right away after winning Vienna. He told me he was so happy for me and how big the improvements in my game were gonna be working with Juan Carlos. I think that’s what makes him such a great graceful champion and someone that our sport really really needs.”

Both players had their classy moments in the exchange, with Shelton rightfully pointing out Alcaraz’s long-term association with Ferrero. While the Spaniard became one of the biggest modern stars under Ferrero’s guidance, their bond extended beyond professionalism, with Alcaraz often dubbing the former World No.1 his second father, and Ferrero taking the Murcian under his wing as a teenager and into his academy.

On the other hand, Alcaraz was not wrong in assuring Shelton of the benefits of the move. The American did get a breakthrough win against the Spaniard in New York this year, but he has struggled against someone like Jannik Sinner, failing to win even one set against the Italian in the last nine matches. Overall, Shelton has a little over 28 percent win rate against Top-10 opposition, something he can improve with Ferrero, who guided Alcaraz to becoming a winning machine against the elite as well.

This is not the first time Shelton has seen Alcaraz’s sporting nature. While this was an off-court conversation, the American has also seen the Spaniard’s capacity to be genuine on the court, amid the heat of the battle at a Grand Slam. Back at the 2025 French Open, Shelton and Alcaraz went toe-to-toe in a fourth-round clash, where the Spaniard sportingly conceded a point as his hand was not in contact with the racket when he played the shot. Even though the umpire did not spot it, Alcaraz had no hesitation in giving back the point to Shelton.

While Ferrero is yet to join Shelton’s camp, the American’s match against Alcaraz in Naterre will surely have some undercurrents to that effect, as both players have had contrasting fortunes since their US Open clash.

Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton Set for Blockbuster Paris Clash

While they have played on the outdoor clay courts in Paris, it’s time for Shelton and Alcaraz to play on the indoor hard courts that the city has to offer. Both have had excellent campaigns in Nanterre so far, even though their results after the US Open have differed slightly.

After his five-set loss to Shelton, Alcaraz has been on a tear, winning 15 of his next 16 matches. The Spaniard has already shown he has recovered from his wrist injury by returning to title-winning form, picking up the trophies at Tokyo and Vienna. He has carried on his form at the Paris Masters as well, beating Taylor Fritz while being match points down, while getting past Casper Ruud without any trouble.

On the other hand, Shelton has struggled since his US Open runner-up finish. The American had a bad outing at the Davis Cup, and had early exits in Shanghai and Basel. However, he has picked up his form in Paris, winning against the likes of Arthur Rinderknech and Tommy Paul in the initial rounds. In the semifinal, he was able to overturn a 3-1 deficit against home favorite Luca Van Assche and reach his maiden final at the Paris Masters.