Third seed Ben Shelton beat Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in 2 hours and 16 minutes on Saturday to reach the final of the Rolex Paris Masters. It is the American’s third ATP Masters 1000 final, and his first outside Canada, after his titles in Toronto in 2025 and Montreal in 2026. On Sunday, he will face Carlos Alcaraz or Casper Ruud.

He did it by coming from a break down in the decider. Van Assche, the last Frenchman in the draw, broke for 3-1 in the third set, but handed it straight back with two big errors and a double fault. Shelton levelled at 3-3 with a superb backhand down the line at the end of an intense rally.

The decisive game came next. Van Assche saved three break points, one with a serve and forehand, another with an ace, but a forehand volley into the net, a double fault and an overhit forehand gave Shelton the break for 4-3, on his fourth chance. The American, frustrated a quarter of an hour earlier, let out a huge roar.

Van Assche held with an ace for 4-5, and saved a first match point with a deep forehand. Shelton converted the second with a serve and a perfect forehand down the line.

The Frenchman had taken the first set 7-5 with the only break, at 5-5. Shelton levelled by breaking for 4-2 in the second set.

Shelton handles a tricky draw, fresh again since the US Open

Shelton has lived up to his seeding all week, through a demanding run. He beat Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4, came from a set down to beat Arthur Rinderknech in a final-set tie-break, beat Tommy Paul in three sets, then Van Assche in front of a crowd fully behind the Frenchman.

After a US Open final followed by early exits in Shanghai and Basel, he arrived in Paris refreshed. “Everyone is probably cooked,” he said on Thursday. “This is kind of the first week since the US Open that I’ve really felt 100 per cent ready to compete.”

It is his sixth final of the season and the 11th of his career (7-3). He is the first American in the Paris final since Jack Sock in 2017, and the first American man to reach several Masters 1000 finals in a season since Andy Roddick in 2010.

Van Assche, still without a win against a top-10 player (0-6), leaves with the best ranking of his career. He is No. 34 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and the French No. 2, after wins over Mariano Navone, Learner Tien, Lorenzo Musetti and Rinky Hijikata.

Rolex Paris Masters 2026 semi-final results

Ben Shelton (3) d. Luca Van Assche 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz (2) vs Casper Ruud (Saturday)