Doha
\n Alcaraz converts 6th MP vs. Rublev, awaits Fils in Doha final<\/p>\n
World No. 1 extends 11-match winning streak, Fils reaches first final since 2024<\/p>\n
February 20, 2026<\/p>\n
Karim JAAFAR \/ AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz in semi-final action against Andrey Rublev on Friday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.
\n By Jerome Coombe<\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz<\/a>\u2019s mental resolve was heavily tested by defending champion Andrey Rublev<\/a> on Friday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open<\/a>, but the top seed ultimately found a way through, converting his sixth match point to seal a dramatic passage into the final.<\/p>\n The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings battled for a gripping 7-6(3), 6-4 victory under the lights in Doha to extend his perfect start to 2026 to 11 matches. Although he twice failed to serve out the opening set and saw a 3-0 lead in the second quickly erased, Alcaraz remained steady under pressure to advance to the Qatari ATP 500 final for the first time after two hours, two minutes.<\/p>\n See you in the silverware showdown \ud83d\udc49\ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n World No.1 @carlosalcaraz<\/a> breaks new ground in Doha 7-6(3), 6-4 \ud83c\udd9a Rublev@QatarTennis<\/a> | #QatarExxonMobilOpen<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/clGTuSEvTM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Tour (@atptour) February 20, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n “I know what I am able to do every time I step on the court, what I am capable of doing,” Alcaraz said when asked if he is ever amazed by himself. “The way that I am approaching every match, I’m just really proud about it. It’s something I am trying to be better at and it’s paying off. I’m proud of myself [for] getting better and maturing.”<\/p>\n With his semi-final win, Alcaraz improved to 5-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against two-time Doha champion Rublev. Standing between the Spaniard and the title on Saturday will be resurgent Frenchman Arthur Fils<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since capturing the Australian Open<\/a> crown in January to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam, the 22-year-old Alcaraz has played with assurance, but his path in Doha has required persistence. After rallying past former champion Karen Khachanov<\/a> in three sets in the quarter-finals, the top seed faced more challenges against Rublev.<\/p>\n “If you want to find a solution to a problem, you should find it in a calm place,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something I am working on. When I am playing and getting mad, seeing I’m not at my best, I just get frustrated. That is not the place you will find solutions. In these matches, I have been really calm, thinking clearly and being positive. It’s in those places where you can find the solutions to a problem.”<\/p>\n Alcaraz squandered a 3-0 lead in the second set and later missed three match points on serve at 5-3 when Rublev mounted one final surge to break, but the Spaniard refused to let the opportunity pass. Regaining control with an immediate break himself, Alcaraz stayed composed through a nervy end and eventually converted his sixth match point to secure victory and advance to his 34th tour-level final. The World No. 1 is 25-8 in career finals, according to the Infosys ATP Win\/Loss Index.<\/p>\n Fils rounded out semi-final action by defeating sixth seed and 2024 finalist Jakub Mensik<\/a> 6-4, 7-5 to reach his first tour-level final since lifting the ATP 500 trophy in Tokyo in 2024. Mensik \u2014 last year\u2019s Miami champion \u2014 stunned World No. 2 Jannik Sinner<\/a> in the quarter-finals but could not replicate that level against Fils, who is playing just his third event since returning from a back injury, which kept him out for eight months.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a tough journey,\u201d said Fils, the former World No. 14. \u201cEight months without playing tennis, just watching the other guys battling\u2026 Staying in my bed and doing recovery was very long. My team knows how tough it was, but now it feels even better when I am coming back like this. To be back in a final, it means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Mensik battled back from a break deficit in the second set to force a tie-break, Fils maintained his composure and physicality to close it out in two sets. The 21-year-old Frenchman has recently bolstered his team by adding 2001 Wimbledon<\/a> champion Goran Ivanisevic<\/a> to his coaching staff.<\/p>\n “If you believe, then maybe you can do it, so I believe 100 per cent,” Fils said ahead of his final with Alcaraz. “Let’s see tomorrow on the court, but for sure I am coming on court to fight.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n