Carlos Alcaraz Saves Two Match Points to Beat Fritz, Reach Paris Masters Semis

Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points and came back to beat Taylor Fritz 6-7(10), 7-5, 6-3 on Friday night at the Rolex Paris Masters, reaching the semifinals in the French capital for the first time.

The second-seeded Spaniard needed 2 hours and 45 minutes on Court Central, according to the ATP Tour, after Fritz pushed him to the brink in the second set. Alcaraz called the crowd support a big reason he stayed in the match.

How Alcaraz escaped against Fritz

Fritz won a 22-point first-set tiebreak after saving three set points, ATP Tour and Tennis Majors reported. In the second set the American broke and reached 5-3, then earned a match point on Alcaraz’s serve. The Spaniard saved it, held with a spectacular backhand slice that brought the arena to its feet, then faced another match point on Fritz’s serve at 5-4.

Alcaraz answered with a crosscourt forehand passing shot, broke back to 5-5, and took the next two games to force a decider, the ATP Tour said. In the third set he raised his level, cut down unforced errors, and closed on his first match point with a serve and forehand.

“I tried not to let myself down in the difficult moments in the second set,” Alcaraz said afterward, per the ATP Tour. “I tried to stay strong mentally and save those break points and match points.” On court he told Tennis Majors the match reminded him “a little bit of the 2025 French Open final,” when he saved championship points against Jannik Sinner.

What the result means for Turin

The loss ended Fritz’s path into the Nitto ATP Finals. Had he reached the Paris semis, the American would have locked a Turin place for a fourth time, the ATP Tour reported. Instead he left Paris 11th in the live Race to Turin, while Spain’s Rafael Jodar secured the eighth and final Finals berth.

The season-ending event runs Nov. 15–22 in Turin. The ATP Tour listed the field as Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Jodar.

Alcaraz improved to 7-1 in his head-to-head series with Fritz and has now won a tour-level match after saving match points for the seventh time in his career, according to the ATP Tour. He lifted a trophy last week in Vienna and entered Paris on a seven-match winning streak.

Who is next?

Alcaraz’s semifinal opponent is the winner of Casper Ruud vs. Nuno Borges, Tennis Majors and AFP reported. He is the eighth Spaniard to reach the Paris last four and the first since Rafael Nadal in 2020. A win this weekend would put him in contention for a ninth Masters 1000 title.

Elsewhere Friday, Ben Shelton beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the semis, and Luca Van Assche beat Rinky Hijikata, AFP reported.

Why Paris mattered to Alcaraz

Alcaraz had never gone beyond the Paris quarterfinals before this week. He told Tennis Majors he had missed playing in Paris and understood why after Friday’s crowd energy. Fritz, aggressive and flat on the faster indoor surface, forced him to “run” and “fight” for long stretches, Alcaraz said.

For U.S. fans, the night closed Fritz’s Finals chase and kept Alcaraz — already locked into Turin — rolling into the Masters weekend as one of the favorites on Court Central.

FAQ