By Richard Pagliaro Saturday, February 21, 2026
Photo credit: Antoine Couvertcelle/ROLEX
Most tennis players consider “professional athlete” as their chosen career.
Carlos Alcaraz continues to thrive as a professional surprise production company.
Alcaraz displays stunning dynamic in full-court tennis to beat Frenchman Arthur FellsIn today’s Doha final, he won the 26th championship of his career with 6-2, 6-1.
World No. 1 Alcaraz improves his record to a perfect 12-0 in 2026 and maintains his stellar record on outdoor hard courts. Alcaraz is 30-0 on outdoor hard courts and has won nine of his last 13 games since last April en route to an eye-popping 68-5 record.
Twenty days after Alcaraz received electricity Novak Djokovic He won his first Australian Open title with a score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 and became the youngest player in history to complete a career Grand Slam. He tore Phils apart in what could be said to be his most complete performance in this undefeated season.
The 22-year-old Spaniard has had a year filled with questions following his split from long-term manager Juan Carlos Ferrero in December, and Alcaraz has given authoritative answers.
“It’s a great start to the year,” Alcaraz said. “It wasn’t easy to be honest because I had to be mentally strong with my team. I’m really happy with what I’ve done this season. The first match of the year, I played some great tennis.
“I’m really happy about this week. I think we had a great week. This trophy means a lot to me. I just want to say thank you to my team, they did a great job.”
Despite taking a beating from the champion today at full strength, Fiers had a fantastic week and reached his first final since the Tokyo Olympics in October 2024. Struggling with a stress fracture in his back for much of the 2025 season, unseeded Fiers showed off his immense talent this week but ran into a superior buzzsaw in Alcaraz and never really got into the game.
“Arthur, it’s a pleasure to share the court with you,” Alcaraz said. “Really, for me, it’s not just the result, it’s the joy of seeing you on the pitch again.
“I know you struggle with injuries and it’s great to be able to forget that and start again and have a great final… Of course we will share the great moments.”
Alcaraz produced a brilliant game on title contention, reading his opponent’s shot and finishing with the finishing touch to end the 50-minute deficit with a bang.
“First of all I want to thank the audience, I feel very sorry for the final,” Fiers said after falling 0-3 against Alcaraz. “It’s been eight months since my injury. That’s a long time. You just have to think about the last eight months I’ve struggled without playing tennis.
“I want to thank my team. Sorry guys, it wasn’t a day like that, but I thought we did a really good job. Carlos, you played really well, man, good job [it’s] A joke. Keep playing like this: You’re doing a great job. “
From the first point, it was clear that Alcaraz was outstanding.
Alcaraz hit some searing forehand runs and stayed on point until Fiers hit a perfect lob for an ambitious lob attempt earlier in the match. On that slip, Alcaraz broke serve for the second time in the final, taking a 4-1 lead in just 16 minutes.
In the first set, Alcaraz raised the level of stunning entertainment.
The Frenchman hit an aggressive backhand cross-court pass that is likely to be elusive in most matches on the ATP Tour.
Not Alcaraz.
Alcaraz hit a jaw-dropping backhand volley winner and his stunning magic earned applause from his opponents. After 27 minutes of play, Alcaraz made a mistake on the second set point and took a one-set lead.
Alcaraz, playing in his 34th career final, hit 70 percent of his serves, scored 12 of his 14 points on his first serve, and faced no break points in the first game.
Fiers performed well in his first match as coach against 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, but chasing Alcaraz was a losing proposition.
In the second set, Phils lost his first serve.
Alcaraz scored nine straight points to take a 2-0 lead in the second set.
The beautiful Alcaraz champion pushed Fiers to the edge. After the Spaniard broke serve at 3-0, Fiers slammed his Babolat cue off the court, leaving a trail of shattered rackets in a move reminiscent of young coach Goran Ivanisevic.
Alcaraz rewritten the score to 4-0 with a convincing hold. When Fiers hit a forehand winner to end a five-game skid, he admitted the cheering crowd held his racket high.
This was Phils’ last ditch effort.
Alcaraz’s fifth ace from the touchline made it 5-1 after 48 minutes.
On title contention, Alcaraz read the Frenchman’s stroke, turned his hips and shoulders in response, and fired a ballistic forehand winner to end the 50-minute match with the final blow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTwNHZAcAp8
Alcaraz, 22, hugged Fiers, 21, at the net. After the hug, Fiers shrugged, raised his eyebrows and made a “that’s great” look. Even elite opponents feel this way when facing Alcaraz.
