Carlos Alcaraz kept his perfect start to 2026 going by winning the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, in Doha. In the final on February 21, the world No. 1 beats Arthur Fils 6-2 6-1 in just 50 minutes. Alcaraz was in control almost from the first game. He won 89% of his first serve points and did not face a single break point, so the match never really opened up for the Frenchman.
After lifting the trophy, Alcaraz said his mindset for the year is simple. “I came this year hungry for more,” he said. “I think after every tournament, we just have to set new goals. I am just really happy and proud of everything I have done with my team on and off the court.” He also added, “It’s been a really strong start to the year. I had to be strong mentally with my team. I am just playing great tennis and I am really happy about this week. This trophy means a lot to me
In the final, Alcaraz was on top from the start. He served well, returned even better, and didn’t give Fils time to set up his forehand. Fils tried to swing freely and play fast, but Alcaraz kept the ball deep, took the first strike early, and the scoreboard kept moving. In the end, there was no late twist, Alcaraz served it out cleanly and finished the job quickly. It ended the same way it was played.
Alcaraz had to work hard to reach the final. In his opener against Arthur Rinderknech, he won 6-4 7-6(5) in 1 hour 47 minutes, and called it “really difficult”, saying, “Nobody wants to play against him in the first round. I am happy that I stayed calm and positive.” In the round of 16 against Valentin Royer, he got a real scare, he was down 5-2 in the second set, but still closed it in straight sets. Then in the quarterfinals, he dropped the first set to the seeded 7 Karen Khachanov, before coming back to win 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3 and move into the last four.
Then real fight came before the final, in the semifinal against defending champion Andrey Rublev. Alcaraz won 7-6(3) 6-4 but it was far from comfortable. Rublev stayed right there with him, came back from 0-3 down in the second set, and even saved five match points. Alcaraz had to keep pushing until he finally finished it on his sixth chance.
For Fils, the final was harder to accept but the week still mattered. He reached the title match after a long injury break, and he spoke honestly about it: “Eight months without playing, watching others and staying in bed, it was a long and difficult ordeal. But today, the comeback is all the more sweet. It means a lot to me to be in the final.”
From an Asian tennis point of view, Doha still had a couple of notes. China’s Zhizhen Zhang got a good opening win over the qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena (6-4 6-4), before he was stopped by the seeded 6Jakub Mensik in the next round. Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik was also in the draw, but had to withdraw in the middle. Overall, Doha remains an important stop for players from Asia, the field is strong, the conditions are quick, and even one solid week here can give a player real confidence for what comes next.
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