Beat Arthur Fils, Alcaraz Qatar Open 2026 Champion

Tennis illustration. (John Fornander-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Spanish male tennis player Carlos Alcaraz won the ATP 500 Doha, Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2026, after defeating French representative Arthur Fils, with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in 50 minutes, Sunday WIB.

Alcaraz won the title only about 20 days after he became the youngest player in history to complete the Career Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open.

"This is a very strong start to the year. It's not easy. I have to be strong mentally with my team. I'm playing tennis very well and I'm very happy with this week. This trophy means a lot to me," said Alcaraz, quoted from ATP via Antara.

The 22-year-old admitted that he came with a higher spirit after only reaching the quarterfinals of the 2025 Qatar Open.

"I am very happy and proud of everything I have done with my team on and off the field," said Alcaraz.

From the start of the match against Fils, Alcaraz dictated the course of the match, attacking early and defending. Even after Fils improved his level of play and started exchanging blows from the baseline, Alcaraz repeatedly made spectacular ball returns with crucial shots to extend his winning record to 12 matches this season.

The victory marked Alcaraz's ninth ATP 500 trophy, matching former world number one Andy Murray for the fourth-highest tally in the category since it began in 2009.

Meanwhile, with his journey to the first tour-level final since winning the title in Tokyo in 2024, Fils jumped seven places to 33rd, as he continued his fight to bounce back after recovering from injury.

The former world number 14 will next compete in the ATP 500 in Dubai, where he faces a rematch with Jiri Lehecka he lost to in the Doha quarterfinal.

"It's been eight months since I suffered an injury. So at times like this, you just have to think about the last eight months when I was struggling, not playing tennis. I just want to thank my team. Today is not the right day, but I think we've done a great job," said Fils, who reached his first tour-level final since Tokyo in 2024.

The match in Doha marked their first meeting since Alcaraz won a straight set victory on the clay against the French player in 2025, and their first meeting on the hard court went in a similar fashion.

Alcaraz now leads Fils 3-0 in their head to head, and extends his winning streak on outdoor hard courts to 30 matches, a record that includes big wins at the Australian Open and US Open.

By winning the title in Doha, his 26th tour-level title, Alcaraz now has a record of 292-65, according to Alcaraz's win/loss index.