Doha, Feb. 21 -- World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz held his nerve in a tense late-night contest to defeat defending champion Andrey Rublev and book his place in the final of the Qatar Open 2026 on Friday. Alcaraz will take on Frenchman Arthur Fils in the title clash on Saturday, according to ATP.

The Spanish star dug deep to register a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory in the semi-final, converting his sixth match point after two hours and two minutes of absorbing tennis. With the win, Alcaraz extended his unbeaten start to the 2026 season to 11 matches and advanced to his first final in Doha.

Top seed Alcaraz was pushed throughout by Rublev, a two-time champion at the event, and had to withstand several momentum swings. He twice failed to serve out the ope...