ATP500 Qatar - Final - Alcaraz v Fils

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Giocoswitch said:
Although everyone has been gushing about the eye-catching backhand and rightly so, this is what impressed me most. Hardly gave Fils a thing in any service game, and that might have been good enough to win even without the absurd degree of dominance in play. Not always something I've associated with him so it's great to see
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His return game was absolutely insane. Here’s another stat that we can chew on for a bit:

Points won while Fils was serving:

Alcaraz 24
Fils 19

This is something that we might see in the first round against a qualifier. But this happened in the championship. But as crazy as this was, I was just as impressed by Alcaraz’s patience and point construction. He wasn’t hitting a bunch of UE by trying to go nuclear in a rally. He had several rallies that went 15-20 shots until he gained the advantage in court position, then pulled the trigger. I think that he did this at times to completely break Fils’ spirit. He sent a message. “Hey, I can carve you up with drop shots, net play, my speed, or my pure power. But now, I have the discipline to win long rallies against you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

I don’t think that Alcaraz made more than 10 UE during this match. He was a wall and a juggernaut at the same time.
 
I missed the match. But yesterday, I was impressed with his play against Rublev in 3rd gear hitting test shots, and displaying his signature incredible artistic shots.
 
Pheasant said:
His return game was absolutely insane. Here’s another stat that we can chew on for a bit:

Points won while Fils was serving:

Alcaraz 24
Fils 19

This is something that we might see in the first round against a qualifier. But this happened in the championship. But as crazy as this was, I was just as impressed by Alcaraz’s patience and point construction. He wasn’t hitting a bunch of UE by trying to go nuclear in a rally. He had several rallies that went 15-20 shots until he gained the advantage in court position, then pulled the trigger. I think that he did this at times to completely break Fils’ spirit. He sent a message. “Hey, I can carve you up with drop shots, net play, my speed, or my pure power. But now, I have the discipline to win long rallies against you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

I don’t think that Alcaraz made more than 10 UE during this match. He was a wall and a juggernaut at the same time.
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Correct, he made 9.
 
Pheasant said:
You missed the best match that Carlos has ever played; IMHO. He clicked on every single part of the game, including point construction. He showed the patience and variety to wait Fis out until he could finesse a court-position advantage to finally hit a win winner during 14-20 shot rallies. He was returning Fils’ first serves to his feet near the baseline. He showed shades of 2016 AO Djoker there. He showed insane body control at the net by changing directions, then hitting a winner.

Fils a played well. But Alcaraz went absolutely nuclear this match. I might rewatch it. It was that good.
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Damn, I need to see this.
As a big Alcaraz fan I was sort of hoping that Fils would win because it's better for tennis when young guys breakthrough but I'll never frown on a good old fashioned Carlos beatdown of some poor sap.
 
NYTennisfan said:
Damn, I need to see this.
As a big Alcaraz fan I was sort of hoping that Fils would win because it's better for tennis when young guys breakthrough but I'll never frown on a good old fashioned Carlos beatdown of some poor sap.
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It’s a must watch for us Alcaraz fans. I will watch this again.

This Alcaraz fellow might very well become my favorite player of all time. And I say this as a huge McEnroe fan(Mac is my fav, followed by Federer).
 
Pheasant said:
It’s a must watch for us Alcaraz fans. I will watch this again.

This Alcaraz fellow might very well become my favorite player of all time. And I say this as a huge McEnroe fan(Mac is my fav, followed by Federer).
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I never had a favorite player necessarily, loved watching Agassi and then Federer play but I'm a diehard Alcaraz fan. Everything about him is likeable and he's the most entertaining player I've ever watched, I don't understand how anybody can dislike him.
 
Pheasant said:
It’s a must watch for us Alcaraz fans. I will watch this again.

This Alcaraz fellow might very well become my favorite player of all time. And I say this as a huge McEnroe fan(Mac is my fav, followed by Federer).
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Not super related to the thread, but I'm curious, what made you a fan of each? Style of play? I feel like McEnroe and Federer are almost as far apart as you can get in terms of on-court demeanor.

+1 on rewatching this match. Just incredible stuff.
 
bw114 said:
Not super related to the thread, but I'm curious, what made you a fan of each? Style of play? I feel like McEnroe and Federer are almost as far apart as you can get in terms of on-court demeanor.

+1 on rewatching this match. Just incredible stuff.
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As a kid, Borg was ruling tennis. Mac was this fellow American that had great variety that finally slayed Borg at Wimbledon. To be fair, a McEnroe today would make me angry. But players were much rowdier back then.

Alcaraz is the complete package of being a good gentleman, electric, clutch, while having awesome physicality and variety. He’s nearly the perfect guy to cheer for.
 
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Thing is Alcaraz can still improve and he's doing so as we speak. As for Sinner, can you really see him imrpove much more than he has? Not really, he could sustain his best form from 2024-25 the rest of the way and he'd still win majors, but Alcaraz is pulling away and 2 years younger. When Sinner is 27 and Alcaraz is 25 I can see Alcaraz peaking around this time. He has a higher ceiling.
 
This is the first final in which Alcaraz plays someone younger than him. Fils is 21. It's only 1 year difference but it's watching a grown man beat the crap out of a little kid.
 
vqrWi73.jpg
 
Rattie said:
Too good Charly. Too good :love:
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Yes I Carlitos! Flying free, flying high. Dude shows his innate skills, sheer genius. By the way, am I in the Twilight Zone or is he excelling on hard courts where he was supposed to never achieve much? Top of top drawer- too bleddy good!
Like Fils / his game when he can summon it. Nice runner's up speech, and reference to Carlitos' level being 'a joke'. True man, it is incredible.

MichaelNadal said:
Panache cake :D
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Heh, heh, dude was the Panache Tornado for sure. Clinched it in the blink of an eye.

FeroBango said:
Somewhere Roger Federer is smiling from the heavens
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Yah man, the Maestro acknowledging Carlitos' genius seems appropriate.

As for other things, I knew the kid was special some time ago, good to see him realising his potential, learning how to summon it. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but this day was a gift for the tennis soul - wizardry aplenty. Thank you Carlitos. Looking forward to the next adventure.
 
talynen said:
7 slam wins in 24 slams played: 0.292 rate
24 slams wins in 82 slams played: 0.293 rate

> Using a statistic that actually makes sense
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Oh?

To my mind, tiny cannot be given credit for what he has not in fact done. But I'm old-fashioned..
 
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Rosstour said:
This is why after the Djoko-Sinner match, I’ve been saying “SinnerAz is not a thing”

It’s Carlos, then Sinner-Djoko-Musetti, then all the TTW Alpha Male heroes like Fils, Draper, Fonz etc.
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How did Musetti get lumped in with Sinner and Djokovic? Lol
And despite Djokovic beating Sinner the last match, mainly because he hardly played any tennis the previous two matches, he's not lumped into the Sinner category at all.

It's

Alcaraz

Sinner



Djokovic



























Other people
 
FeroBango said:
Lmao what a finish.

Easily the most peak Roger Federer match that Federer never played
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Seriously. Alcaraz is peaking these last 10 months or so but moreso since Wimbledon especially as high as anyone has peaked, that's how consistently high his level has been. I knew he was in for a strong start to 2026 when he pushed Sinner to the brink at the ATP Finals on Sinner's favorite surface and his weakest in Sinner's home country despite not being nearly 100% physically in that match. He just keeps getting better which is wild because he was already ATG level prior.
 
Jonas78 said:
Raz will win CYGS this year if Sinner doesnt get back in business.
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Succession said:
He is oozing with confidence and authority throughout. Even I wouldn't rule this out at this moment and it is a goal of Carlos to do it
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Though I am an Alcaraz fan, I highly doubt he can do it this year. But if he can finish an inform guy in the final the way he did while looking tired last couple matches, it is certainly possible, but highly unlikely. I really hope he is the one to do it.
 
Jonas78 said:
Raz will win CYGS this year if Sinner doesnt get back in business.
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Sinner's business is dependent on Alcaraz, as Alcaraz would have won 4 slams in a row if he'd skipped Queens last year, IMO.
If Alcaraz skipped Queens last year, I think he would have had enough left in the tank to beat Sinner in the Wimbledon Final.
Alcaraz looked emotionally and physically flat in the Wimbledon Final, which is the opposite of his usual self in Slam Finals.
 
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Tallawah Tennis said:
Yes I Carlitos! Flying free, flying high. Dude shows his innate skills, sheer genius. By the way, am I in the Twilight Zone or is he excelling on hard courts where he was supposed to never achieve much? Top of top drawer- too bleddy good!
Like Fils / his game when he can summon it. Nice runner's up speech, and reference to Carlitos' level being 'a joke'. True man, it is incredible.
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I think people just expected him to shine on clay as he’s Spanish and ignored the fact that his first Masters title and his first slam were on hard court. He’s an all court player as his title count demonstrates.
 
You can't stay immune to this performance if you're a genuine fan of attacking tennis. Those burning forehands were ripping through the court in a way we haven't seen in a long time. I would just like him to rush the net even more, he would become even more lethal.
 
Halba said:
Novak in 2011. Especially defeating a relatively prime Rafa in Wimbledon and us open.
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And who was the one guy to beat him in Slams?

Ppl are saying this reminds them of Fed for a reason, everything doesn’t have to be about Novak
 
NYTennisfan said:
How did Musetti get lumped in with Sinner and Djokovic?
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Musetti had Novak completely flummoxed in their AO match, which absolutely no one expected. If it were any other pairing of players we would have called it domination. His level is clearly there now
 
Nice of Calf not to play with his food on this occasion. It means Fils goes to Dubai with plenty of energy left, rather than being worn out. Pressure is on him to keep performing over the next few months, as in March and April he is defending all of these:

- QF in Indian Wells
- QF in Miami
- QF in Monte Carlo
- SF in Barcelona

Between those four events, that's 800 points. Even with the runner-up points from this week, tomorrow he will have 1,440 points. So, those four events are 55.55% of his total tally. If he were to lose to Lehecka in Dubai in his first match, that would put a lot of pressure on him for the next four events.

Ergo Calf threw him the bone of beating him 6-2 6-1 in 50 minutes rather than 6-4 5-7 6-2 in 2 hours 35 minutes so that he goes into the Lehecka match a bit fresher.
 
Rattie said:
I think people just expected him to shine on clay as he’s Spanish and ignored the fact that his first Masters title and his first slam were on hard court. He’s an all court player as his title count demonstrates.
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Hey there, man - I was somewhat tongue-in-cheek with my 'Twilight Zone' comment. Teasing those who have a habit of pronouncing what a player will do / won't do and then repeat the 'theory' - no matter how fatuous, ad nauseam. You will no doubt remember the standard quip to dismiss Carlitos as only competent on natural surfaces. Sure, it may stem from the association with Carlitos being Spanish and therefore a clay specialist, but my observations are that it went beyond that to pigeon-holing DESPITE the evidence of his potential.
Many that have taken an interest in Carlitos over the years, watched the development of his outstanding prowess, have been aware of just how good his potential is on all surfaces. Dude continues to show it, and with his performance in the final yesterday, illustrates just how superb he is on hard courts too.

Mind you, does it need reminding? Actually, even if it doesn't, I'll remind anyway - good fun! I'll start in what I consider to be his starting year on tour-2021, with the win over Tsitsipas in 2021 included to show a key win, even though he did not win the title:
  • 2021- Aged 18, defeated world number 3 Tsitsipas at the USO. His first win over a top 3 player. Outdoor hard
  • 2022- Aged 18, won Miami, masters 1000 beating Ruud, ranked world number 8. Youngest winner of the title, and only Spaniard to do so. Outdoor hard
  • 2022- Aged 19, won the USO, becoming the youngest world number 1. Out door hard
  • 2023 - Aged 19, won Indian Wells, masters 1000. Outdoor hard
  • 2024 - Indian Wells, masters 1000. Outdoor hard
  • 2024 - Beijing, ATP 500. Outdoor hard
  • 2025 - Rotterdam ATP 500. Indoor hard
  • 2025 - Cincinnati, masters 1000. Outdoor hard
  • 2025 - USO, dropping only one set to the title. Outdoor hard
  • 2025 - Tokyo ATP 500. Outdoor hard
  • 2026 - AO, clinching the career slam aged 22, youngest to achieve it. Outdoor hard
  • 2026 - Doha ATP 500. Outdoor hard
Total hard court titles won to date = 11, of which 3 are at GS level; 4 at masters 1000 level and 4 at ATP 500 level. Dude has also won 11 titles on clay and 4 on grass. His hard court and clay court results are equal for number of titles won, but he has won more hardcourt slams than on clay. Given the dearth of grass court tournaments and that Carlitos has won 3 slams on hard courts and 2 each on clay and grass, I'd say that he is a specialist of all surfaces, achieved consistently at the highest level.
Indoor hard courts remain a challenge, and Carlitos will most likely (if his develpment to date is an indicator), try to resolve this challenge too. He did well in the WTF's in 2025 and I suspect, will have taken confidence from it. Let's see.
 
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Tallawah Tennis said:
Hey there, man - I was somewhat tongue-in-cheek with my 'Twilight Zone' comment. Teasing those who have a habit of pronouncing what a player will do / won't do and then repeat the 'theory' - no matter how fatuous, ad nauseam. You will no doubt remember the standard quip to dismiss Carlitos as only competent on natural surfaces. Sure, it may stem from the association with Carlitos being Spanish and therefore a clay specialist, but my observations are that it went beyond that to pigeon-holing DESPITE the evidence of his potential.
Many that have taken an interest in Carlitos over the years, watched the development of his outstanding prowess, have been aware of just how good his potential is on all surfaces. Dude continues to show it, and with his performance in the final yesterday, illustrates just how superb he is on hard courts too.

Mind you, does it need reminding? Actually, even if it doesn't, I'll remind anyway - good fun! I'll start in what I consider to be his starting year on tour-2021, with the win over Tsitsipas in 2021 included to show a key win, even though he did not win the title:
  • 2021- Aged 18, defeated world number 3 Tsitsipas at the USO. His first win over a top 3 player. Outdoor hard
  • 2022- Aged 18, won Miami, masters 1000 beating Ruud, ranked world number 8. Youngest winner of the title, and only Spaniard to do so. Outdoor hard
  • 2022- Aged 19, won the USO, becoming the youngest world number 1. Out door hard
  • 2023 - Aged 19, won Indian Wells, masters 1000. Outdoor hard
  • 2024 - Indian Wells, masters 1000. Outdoor hard
  • 2024 - Beijing, ATP 500. Outdoor hard
  • 2025 - Rotterdam ATP 500. Indoor hard
  • 2025 - Cincinnati, masters 1000. Outdoor hard
  • 2025 - USO, dropping only one set to the title. Outdoor hard
  • 2025 - Tokyo ATP 500. Outdoor hard
  • 2026 - AO, clinching the career slam aged 22, youngest to achieve it. Outdoor hard
  • 2026 - Doha ATP 500. Outdoor hard
Total hard court titles won to date = 11, of which 3 are at GS level; 4 at masters 1000 level and 4 at ATP 500 level. Dude has also won 11 titles on clay and 4 on grass. His hard court and clay court results are equal for number of titles won, but he has won more hardcourt slams than on clay. Given the dearth of grass court tournaments and that Carlitos has won 3 slams on hard courts and 2 each on clay and grass, I'd say that he is a specialist of all surfaces, achieved consistently at the highest level.
Indoor hard courts remain a challenge, and Carlitos will most likely (if his develpment to date is an indicator), try to resolve this challenge too. He did well in the WTF's in 2025 and I suspect, will have taken confidence from it. Let's see.
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You’ve fleshed it out so thanks for that, but yes I agree. This guy is a natural talent and surfaces do not dictate the level of success. When he comes across a surface issue he looks for ways to address that and up to now has been remarkably successful in doing so. His natural variety helps him as he isn’t entrenched in a style of play that suits him; he has the talent that comes naturally to enable him to adjust.
Going forward I see the grass as his biggest challenge. Low bouncing, skidding balls present an issue as I saw live for myself at WB last year in round 1. However, he still reached the final, and he will work on that issue going forward. He isn’t entrenched in one particular way to play imo, he’s a bit of a chameleon.
 
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