Qatar Open: Carlos Alcaraz beats Arthur Fels in 50 minutes to win the title
Carlos Alcaraz maintained his unbeaten start to 2026 and won the Doha Qatar Open by defeating Arthur Fels in 50 minutes.
Spain’s top seed Alcaraz showed no mercy from start to finish, successfully resolving five of seven break points before defeating France’s Fiers 6-2 6-1.
The victory was the shortest finish of Alcaraz’s career and his 12th of the season, adding to his 26th career title following victory at last month’s Australian Open.
“I’m hungry for more this year,” said the 22-year-old Alkaraz, who lost in the quarterfinals of last year’s Qatar Open.
“It’s been a really strong start to the year. It’s not easy and I have to stay strong mentally with my team. I just played great tennis and I’m really happy this week. This trophy means a lot to me.”
Alcaraz beat unseeded Fiers just 20 days after becoming the youngest player ever to complete a career Grand Slam in Melbourne.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner set the tone from the start, breaking Fiers’ serve in the first game and quickly taking the first set in just 28 minutes.
Alcaraz’s dominance continued into the second set, with a double break leading 3-0. The Frenchman broke his racket and Fiers’ frustration boiled over.
Fiers came up on his next serve to cheers from the crowd, but that proved to be a consolation as Alcaraz’s dominance of the match saw him seal the second set in just 24 minutes.
Alcaraz hit 18 winners in the entire match, while Fiers had only three winners and didn’t concede a single break point.
The 50-minute victory eclipsed last year’s shortest final, when Norway’s Caspar Rude beat France’s Ugo Humbert 6-2 6-3 in 68 minutes at the Nordic Open in Stockholm.
Fiers, ranked 40th in the world, who missed about eight months last year with a back injury, saw the funny side in his tribute to Alcaraz.
“You play so well, you’re such a great champion, it’s a joke,” he said.
“Congratulations to your team and you, you’ve done an incredible job.”
