Carlos Alcaraz edges Andrey Rublev to reach Qatar Open final

Carlos Alcaraz makes it to another final as he defeated the reigning champion Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the semifinal of the Qatar Open and continued his blistering form in the 2026 season.

Rublev tested World No. 1 Alcaraz with his relentless baseline game at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in a high-intensity battle.

The first set of the match went to a tiebreak, where the Australian Open winner remained in control to take a set lead.

The second set of the match was tightly contested. Alcaraz looked in a hurry to close the match after gaining a late break, but Rublev made a comeback and saved several match points.

After two hours on court, Carlos Alcaraz ultimately sealed victory on his sixth match point.

With the win, the Spaniard extended his winning streak to 11 in 2026.

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz said he is proud of himself for the maturity he showed in every match.

“I know what I am able to do every time I step on the court, what I am capable of doing,” Alcaraz said.

“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.”

Alcaraz will face France’s Arthur Fils in the final, who defeated Czech player Jakub Mensik in straight sets in the other semi-final.

For the unversed, Alcaraz is coming off the back of an Australian Open victory in February.