Alcaraz faces Fils in the final of the 2026 Qatar Open

An exciting showdown is expected between two young players — one who has already become a legend at 22, and the other who is France’s greatest tennis hope since the era of Tsonga, Gasquet, Simon, and Monfils.

In his first tournament since completing his Grand Slam collection at the Australian Open earlier this February, Carlos Alcaraz made a strong impression by reaching the final of the 2026 Qatar Open. His opponent in the championship match is another rising star in the tennis world — Arthur Fils.

In the semifinals, Fils defeated the sixth seed Jakub Mensik with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (7-4 in the tiebreak). Mensik had previously caused an upset by eliminating Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals but couldn’t maintain that form against Fils.

Alcaraz endured a tough semifinal lasting over two hours. The Spanish player twice failed to capitalize on set points in the first set and lost a 3-0 lead in the second. He even missed three match points while leading 5-3, allowing his opponent to fight back. However, the composure of the seven-time Grand Slam champion prevailed at the crucial moment. After a total of six match points, Carlitos finally closed out the match and reached the Qatar final for the first time.

"I am truly proud of how I approach every match. I’m working on improving that, and it’s paying off,"Alcaraz shared. He emphasized that calmness is key: "If you want to find a solution, you have to stay calm. When you’re angry or frustrated, you can’t solve the problem."

Meanwhile, Fils has a notable story behind his run to the final. Currently ranked 40th in the world, he returned to competition after an eight-month break due to a back injury. Before the Qatar Open, his last ATP final appearance was when he won the ATP 500 Tokyo title in 2024.

Fils recently added former Novak Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic to his coaching team and showed strong determination before the big match. Although he lost both previous encounters with Alcaraz,the French player remains very confident: "If you have enough belief, you can do it. I am 100% confident in my chances."

This year’s Qatar Open final between Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Fils will take place at 1:00 AM on February 22nd, Vietnam time.