Carlos Alcaraz defeats No. 6 Andrey Rublev to advance to Doha final | ATP Tour
Doha
Alcaraz converts sixth MP to beat Rublev to advance to Doha final
World No. 1 awaits Mencic or Fiers in Saturday’s ATP 500 final
February 20, 2026
Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz plays against Andrei Rublev in the semifinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Friday.
Jerome Coombe
Defending champion Andrey Rublev put Carlos Alcaraz’s mental resolve to a stern test on Friday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, but the top seed eventually found a way to cash in on his sixth match point to advance to a dramatic final.
The PIF ATP No.1 extended his perfect start to 2026 to 11 matches with a gripping 7-6(3), 6-4 victory under the Doha lights. Although Alcaraz failed to hold serve twice in the first set and the 3-0 lead in the second set was quickly erased, Alcaraz remained stable under pressure and advanced to the Qatar ATP 500 final for the first time after 2 hours and 2 minutes.
See you in the silverware showdown 👉😁
No. 1 in the world @carlosalcaraz New progress in Doha 7-6(3), 6-4 🆚 Rublev@qatartennis | #QatarExxonMobilOpen pic.twitter.com/clGTuSEvTM
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 20, 2026
Awaiting Alcaraz in Saturday’s final will be sixth seed and 2024 finalist Jakub Mensik – who defeated world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Thursday – or France’s Arthur Fils. With the semi-final win, Alcaraz extended Lexus ATP’s lead over two-time Doha champion Rublev to 5-1.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz has played with confidence since winning the Australian Open in January and becoming the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam, but his path in Doha will require perseverance. After defeating former champion Karen Khachanov in three sets in the quarterfinals, the top seed faced more challenges against Rublev.
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