Carlos Alcaraz has set his sights on a first ATP Finals title, saying his Paris Masters victory on Sunday was the ideal platform for the season-ending event in Turin.

The world No. 3 beat Ben Shelton 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the Paris final to win his first title at the tournament, his fifth of 2026 and his third since returning from a wrist injury at the US Open in August.

"This was probably my best week in terms of tennis (since returning)," the seven-time Grand Slam champion told reporters after the final. "I can match it with Vienna, that I feel really comfortable in terms of tennis. But I would say this week, I made one step forward mentally."

Alcaraz said he had faced difficult moments during his matches in Paris and had to fight to stay positive. "During the matches, I faced important and really tough moments internally, fighting with myself, trying to be positive, trying to stay strong mentally, and not letting those negative thoughts into the game."

A tournament he really wants to win

Alcaraz has yet to win the ATP Tour's season-ending tournament. He finished runner-up in 2025 after losing the final to Jannik Sinner, who will not defend the title this year.

"As I said openly, this is a tournament that I really want to win one day," Alcaraz said. "I don't know if it's going be this year, next year, if I'm ever going be able to win this tournament, but I'm going to work hard. I'm going to believe that I can do that, and I'm going to go this year with a lot of confidence."

He added that he would head to Turin with plenty of information about the parts of his game he wants to improve at the event. "I'm going to go for it, for sure."

Turin field set without Sinner

The 2026 ATP Finals run from 15 to 22 November at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. The eight-man field is Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz, Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar, with the group draw taking place on Thursday 12 November.

Sinner, the champion in 2024 and 2025, will not be there. The Italian announced in October that his season was over so he could have treatment on a knee injury. His absence means there will be a new champion, and Zverev, who leads the Race to Turin, and Alcaraz start as the leading names.

A season rebuilt after injury

Alcaraz began 2026 by winning the Australian Open, beating Novak Djokovic in the final to complete the career Grand Slam as the youngest man in history to do so. A wrist injury then stopped his season in April, forcing him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon.

He returned at the US Open in August, reached the quarter-finals, and has won 19 of 21 matches since his comeback, according to the ATP. Titles in Tokyo and Vienna followed before Paris, where he also beat Casper Ruud to reach his first final at the event.

The Paris title was his ninth Masters 1000 crown. Now the question is whether the form that carried him through Paris can finally carry him to the one big title still missing from his collection.