Anyone who has played against Carlos Alcaraz will tell you that it’s not enough to have match points against the Spaniard; you need to see them through, as the seven-time Major champion will make you earn it. Just ask Jannik Sinner, as the Italian knows all about losing a match against Alcaraz while being match points up, that too at a Grand Slam final. While the Spaniard’s ‘never give up’ mindset cost the Italian a Grand Slam title, it has now cost Taylor Fritz his spot at the ATP Finals, as the American could not close it out at the Paris Masters quarterfinal.

“I tried not to let myself down in the tough moments of the second set, stay mentally strong and save those match points,” said Alcaraz in his on-court interview after beating Fritz at the La Defense Arena. “We both played incredible tennis, with incredible points. That got the crowd going, got them on their feet and brought out their energy. I used that crowd energy. I’d say I gave them what they really wanted to see today. I’m very happy I was able to play an extra hour and a half to entertain them. It was an incredible night.”

The match was a high-stakes one, with it being a Masters 1000 quarterfinal anyway, but it also had the added narrative of Fritz looking to qualify for the ATP Finals. Not to forget, even Alcaraz had added motivation coming into the match, as the Spaniard had never been past the quarterfinal stage at the Paris Masters.

It was the Spaniard who took the early lead in the first set, going 5-4 up with a break. However, a loose service game from Alcaraz saw Fritz get back in the set and take it to a tiebreak. With both players having multiple set points, it was the American who closed it out at 12-10. The momentum shifted, and when Fritz got an early break in the second set, it seemed a loss was inevitable for Alcaraz.

Alcaraz was on the brink when he faced a match point while serving at 5-3, which he saved with a forehand winner by wrong-footing his opponent. In the very next game at 5-4, Fritz had another match point, this time on his own serve. However, an uncertain volley from the American gave the Spaniard an opening, which he took with a tremendous forehand passing shot, saving the match point. That was enough for Alcaraz, who broke Fritz’s serve to make it 5-5, and then broke serve once more to win the set 7-5.

With the match in the third set, Alcaraz raised his game, getting an early 3-1 lead. Even though Fritz had break points to level the score, the Spaniard saved them all, eventually closing the set out at 6-3. Break point conversion proved to be a key deciding factor in the match, as Fritz could only convert 2 of the 12 he got, whereas Alcaraz converted 4 of the 9 he had in the match.

The loss meant that Fritz’s charge to the ATP Finals came to an end. Before the Paris Masters, the American had a slim chance to make it, but the event saw early losses for the likes of Rafael Jodar, Alex de Minaur, Novak Djokovic, and Frances Tiafoe, all of whom were the closest competitors for Fritz in the Race. However, even though the chance had opened up for him, the American could not get past Alcaraz, against whom he now has a 1-7 head-to-head record.

As for Alcaraz, this was the seventh time the Spaniard had won a match, despite being match points down. Incidentally, the last such instance for the World No. 3 came against Fritz himself, when the Spaniard beat the American during their Laver Cup clash this year, with Alcaraz saving two match points in the deciding match tiebreak.

With Fritz now behind him, Alcaraz will look to keep his winning momentum going as he is set to take on a former World No. 2 in the semifinal.

Carlos Alcaraz Set to Face Casper Ruud in the Paris Semifinal

Alcaraz will go up against a familiar opponent in Casper Ruud in the semifinal of the Paris Masters. The Norwegian has been a significant opponent for the Spaniard, as Alcaraz’s first Major title came at the expense of Ruud during the 2022 US Open final. Overall, the World No. 3 has a 6-1 head-to-head record against the former World No. 2.

However, the one win that Ruud has over Alcaraz was on an indoor hard court, as the Norwegian beat the Spaniard in straight sets at the 2024 ATP Finals. Even though indoor hard courts have been considered somewhat of an Achilles’ heel for Alcaraz, the Spaniard seems motivated to prove the critics wrong, as he won the title in Vienna last week and seems in red-hot form for the title in Nanterre.

Since coming back at the US Open after recovering from his wrist injury, Alcaraz has won 18 of his 20 matches, and the Spaniard will look to keep the momentum going ahead of the ATP Finals.