Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain needed only 50 mins to defeat Arthur Fils, 6-2 6-1, in the final at the Qatar Open. It was the 26th of his career as well as his second title this season.
After winning the Australian Open, the world number one has now won 12 consecutive matches in 2026.
Alcaraz, who acted with the authority and dominance of a top-ranked player from the start, had Fils in the first set within 30 minutes.
Fils, who had just returned from a lengthy absence due to a back injury sustained at Roland Garros in 2013, struggled to come up with answers. The Frenchman, now working with Goran Ivanišević, showed visible frustration as the scoreboard moved quickly to 6-2 3-0 in Alcaraz’s favour. At one stage, he smashed against the blue Doha court with his racquet.
Alcaraz was able to maintain his level despite minor mistakes earlier in the week, against opponents such as Karen Khachanov or Andrey Rublev. The Spaniard delivered a controlled, clinical performance.
Fils’s brief hold of serve to avoid a second-set rout was warmly received by the crowd, but he failed to win another match.
Alcaraz’s victory in Doha brings him to the same level as former champions like Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker, or Rafael Nadal.
With this victory, he is now one title ahead on his career ATP trophies of Jannik Siner. In March, he will compete at Indian Wells before moving on to Miami.
