Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Fils inside 50 minutes to maintain his unbeaten start to 2026 and win the Qatar Open in Doha.
Spanish top seed Alcaraz was ruthless from start to finish, converting five of seven break points as he blew away France’s Fils in a 6-2 6-1 win.
The win – the shortest of Alcaraz’s career in matches completed – was his 12th of the season, as he followed up last month’s Australian Open triumph with his 26th career title.
“I came into this year hungry for more,” said the 22-year-old Alcaraz, who lost in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open last year.
“It was a very strong start to the year. It wasn’t easy, I had to be mentally strong with my team. I’m just playing great tennis and I’m very happy with this week. This trophy means a lot to me.”
The win against unseeded Fils comes just 20 days after Alcaraz became the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner set the tone from the start as he broke Fils’ serve in the first game, before racing through the first set in just 28 minutes.
Alcaraz’s dominance continued in the second set and a double break to make it 3-0 saw Fils’ frustrations boil over as the Frenchman smashed his racket.
Fils got on the board in his next service game, drawing cheers from the crowd, but it proved to be a consolation as Alcaraz’s dominance in the rallies saw him secure the second set in just 24 minutes.
Alcaraz fired eighteen winners over the course of the match, compared to Fils’ three, and did not concede a single break point.
The victory in 50 minutes eclipses last year’s shortest final, when Norway’s Casper Ruud defeated France’s Ugo Humbert 6-2 6-3 in 68 minutes at the Nordic Open in Stockholm.
World number 40 Fils, who missed around eight months last year due to a back injury, saw the funny side as he paid tribute to Alcaraz.
“You played very well, you are a great champion, it’s a joke,” he said.
“Congratulations to your team and to you, you have done an incredible job.”
#Qatar #Open #Carlos #Alcaraz #destroys #Arthur #Fils #minutes #win #title