Alcaraz admits Paris Masters court is his biggest challenge yet

Carlos Alcaraz has called the courts at the 2026 Rolex Paris Masters the fastest he has faced all season.

The world No. 2 made the admission after grinding out a 7-6, 6-3 win over American Alex Michelsen in his opening match on Wednesday, November 4.

It was Alcaraz’s first time playing on the tournament’s center court at Paris La Défense Arena.

“It was the first time I had stepped onto this center court, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Alcaraz said after the match.

The Spaniard, who arrived in Paris fresh off winning the Vienna Open title on October 26, had to quickly adapt to conditions that he described as unusually quick.

The ball moves through the air faster and stays very low after bouncing on these courts, making it technically harder for players to control their shots.

Alcaraz said he tried to stay as focused as possible on every shot, watching how the ball reacted off the bounce and how Michelsen responded to his shots.

“I tried to maintain great concentration to gather as much information as possible from the start, and to feel better and better as the games went on,” he added.

He took his time in the opening games, studying the ball movement and learning what worked and what needed to change.

The first set showed just how difficult the adjustment was.

Michelsen jumped ahead 4-2 in the tie-break, but Alcaraz won the next six points to take the set.

Once he became more comfortable, he played with greater confidence and secured the second set 6-3.

The victory advanced Alcaraz to the third round, where he was scheduled to face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

But Berrettini withdrew before the match because of an arm injury, giving Alcaraz a walkover into the quarterfinals.

It was the first walkover of Alcaraz’s career at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

His quarterfinal opponent is American Taylor Fritz, who beat Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday night to reach the last eight.

Fritz, the No. 11 seed, needed the win to keep his hopes alive of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

He now has 3,050 points in the ATP Race to Turin and can pass Rafael Jodar (3,234) by reaching the semifinals and Frances Tiafoe (3,390) by reaching the final.

After beating Fils, Fritz said the fast conditions in Paris suit his game perfectly.

“Conditions were fast, and I felt like the speed of the court really enabled me to play my game and get rewarded when I stepped in,” Fritz said on court.

“I played really well. I did all the things that I feel like I’m doing well. It’s how I want to play, it’s my style of tennis: serving really well, returning really well and being aggressive.”

Fritz won 41 of his 51 service points against Fils, including 11 of 12 on his second serve, and hit 14 aces.

Fils, who had already qualified for the ATP Finals, said Fritz simply played better.

“No, no injury. He just played better than me. I wasn’t comfortable on court, because he made me uncomfortable,” Fils said in his press conference.

“It’s not as if I played a bad match. He was just stronger than me, he served better and returned better. In the end, it’s two breaks, 6-3, 6-4. Not much to say.”

Fritz’s win also gave him his 100th victory at ATP Masters 1000 level.

The head-to-head between Alcaraz and Fritz currently stands at 0-4 in favor of Alcaraz since 2022.

But Fritz believes the court speed in Paris could level the playing field.

Alcaraz, for his part, acknowledged that adapting to the fast conditions remains his biggest challenge at this tournament.

The Spaniard has been working with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero to fine-tune his timing and shot selection on the low-bouncing surface.

Alcaraz’s match against Fritz is scheduled for Friday, November 6, in the quarterfinals of the Rolex Paris Masters.

The winner will advance to the semifinals, where a potential matchup against either Ben Shelton or Tommy Paul awaits.

Shelton and Paul face each other in the other quarterfinal, in the opposite half of the draw.