Carlos Alcaraz secured his first career semifinal appearance at the Rolex Paris Masters on November 6, 2026, overcoming two match points to defeat Taylor Fritz 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 in a grueling 2-45 quarterfinal at the Plénitude Arena. The world number three made the American bite the dust once again, dealing a severe blow that also deprived Fritz of a spot at the Masters, which he would have snatched from Rafael Jodar (9th) by securing a maiden victory against his Spanish nemesis.
Five Encounters Without a Breakthrough for Fritz
The defeat extends Taylor Fritz’s head-to-head deficit against the Spanish star to five matches without a win. The American controlled significant stretches of the contest, playing a level above his opponent for periods and coming within a single point of victory on two separate occasions during the second set. Fritz squandered a match point at 5-3 and another at 5-4, letting slip an opportunity to secure his first-ever triumph over the world number three. The current world number 12, who had previously eliminated French number one Arthur Fils in the eighth finals, let a golden opportunity vanish after previously defeating Alcaraz in an official match context during the last Laver Cup.
Face à un Fritz au bord de la crise de nerfs, Alcaraz a serré son jeu dans le troisième set.
Alcaraz Breaks Indoor Paris Barrier
Prior to the encounter, Alcaraz’s indoor results in Paris had fallen short of his outdoor success on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, where he holds two titles among his seven Grand Slam crowns. His best previous indoor result in Paris was a quarterfinal finish, followed by a first-round exit in 2025 against Cameron Norrie.
Recovering from a tense opening set that slipped away in a 12-10 tiebreak against the former world number four—where the world number three had looked disoriented not only by the American’s serving quality—”Carlitos” relied on high-tariff shot-making to shift the momentum. After claiming the second set 7-5 by stringing together four games followed by a fifth to take the lead, the Spaniard controlled the final frame against a visibly frustrated opponent on the verge of a nervous breakdown to close out the match. He advances to face either Casper Ruud or lucky loser Nuno Borges in the semifinals, marking his first victory after saving match points in an official contest since his legendary final in the capital against Jannik Sinner.
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