DOHA : World number one Carlos Alcaraz extended his unbeaten start to 2026 by defeating defending champion Andrey Rublev 7-6(3) 6-4 on Friday to reach the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
The Spaniard, playing his 12th final in his last 13 tournaments, will face France’s Arthur Fils in Saturday’s title match after the 21-year-old beat Czech Jakub Mensik 6-4 7-6(4) in the second semi-final.
Rublev rallied from 3-0 down in the second set to level and saved five match points, but Alcaraz ultimately sealed his 11th straight victory of the season.
“I know what I’m able to do every time that I step on court. For me it’s great,” said 22-year-old Alcaraz, a finalist at the last four Grand Slams, winning three of them.
“It’s paying off, all the focus and attention. I’m just happy and proud about myself with how I’m getting better and getting mature, I guess.”
Rublev struck 14 unforced backhand errors in the opening set but countered with pinpoint forehands as the pair traded two breaks apiece before a tiebreak. Alcaraz surged to a 6-3 lead and closed out the set as a frustrated Rublev vented by smashing his racket against his knee.
In the second set, Alcaraz broke twice to move 5-3 ahead and served for the match, only for world number 14 Rublev to save three match points and break back. The Spaniard responded immediately, breaking again and converting his sixth match point when Rublev’s backhand sailed wide.
Fils reached his fifth career final with a composed display against Mensik, committing fewer unforced errors in a tight contest. The Frenchman, who was sidelined for eight months in 2025 due to a lower back stress fracture suffered during the French Open, saved seven of eight break points and converted two of five.
“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,” Fils said.
