Carlos Alcaraz made light work of Arthur Fils in the Qatar Open final in one of his best-ever performances.
Even Alcaraz was impressed with his Qatar performance as he dropped just three games against Fils in a straight sets victory that lasted less than an hour.
Fils, who had been impressive at the Qatar Open, had next to no answers for Alcaraz’s speed, precision, and power on the court.
In his post-match press conference, Alcaraz explained what Fils did wrong against him in the Qatar final.
Carlos Alcaraz exposes Arthur Fils’ ‘errors’ after beating him in Qatar
Alcaraz admitted that he was very good against Fils, but he did reveal one or two mistakes made by the Frenchman in the match.
“Today I played really well. I was very focused from the start of the match to play high-level tennis. I think the final is the moment when you need to show your best level.
“Obviously, I think Arthur started the match a bit—I won’t say poorly, but making a lot of errors. That gave me confidence to play relaxed and calmly,” Alcaraz revealed.
What do you think is Carlos Alcaraz’s best surface and why?
Alcaraz also spotted several other holes in Fils’ game, which he exploited to devastating effect in the final.
“I think he let me dominate the match, dominate every point. I was almost always in a good position. But, as I said, I played very solidly, aggressive when I could, passing when I needed to.
“I think that mix made me play really very good tennis. Arthur started playing again about four months ago.
“He competed in some tournaments and reached the final. I’m beating big players here in Doha. I’m sure he’ll reach the level to be among the best.”
Alcaraz has now won 12 matches in a row to start the year, without tasting defeat, having won the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.
Carlos Alcaraz hit an incredible milestone against Arthur Fils
Even if Fils was playing at his full potential, it would have been unlikely that he won the match, such was the impressive nature of Alcaraz’s performance.
Alcaraz hit a performance rating of 9.68 against Fils in Qatar, which is his highest ever rating since the ATP introduced the system in 2024.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
The Spaniard was particularly impressive on his serve, where he hit 5 aces and hit 82% of his first serve and 80% of his second.
| Stats | Carlos Alcaraz | Arthur Fils |
| Aces | 5 | 0 |
| Double faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 82% | 72% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 89% | 45% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 80% | 42% |
| Break points | 5/7 | 0/0 |
| Winners | 14 | 3 |
| Unforced errors | 8 | 19 |
Alcaraz did not concede a single break point, which is extraordinary in a final, and he converted five out of seven of his break points.
The world number one arguably put in his best performance of the year so far, which is remarkable considering the wins he’s put together already in 2026.
