Carlos Alcaraz defeated Andrey Rublev, 7-6, 6-4, to reach the Qatar Open final.
The Spaniard was pushed hard by the Russian, but managed to advance in straight sets.
In doing so, he qualified for his 34th career ATP final.
Who will retire with more Grand Slam titles – Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic?
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Who else reached 34 finals on the ATP Tour? His former coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Carlos Alcaraz equals Juan Carlos Ferrero’s final tally at 22
With his win over Rublev, Alcaraz moved level with Ferrero for sixth in the all-time list of Spanish ATP final appearances.
Most final appearances by Spanish players
| Rank | Name | ATP Finals | Finals won | Finals win % |
| 1 | Rafael Nadal | 131 | 92 | 70% |
| 2 | Manuel Orantes | 72 | 36 | 50% |
| 3 | David Ferrer | 52 | 27 | 52% |
| 4 | Carlos Moya | 44 | 20 | 45% |
| 5 | Sergi Bruguera | 35 | 14 | 40% |
| T-6 | Carlos Alcaraz | 34 | 25 | 76% |
| T-6 | Juan Carlos Ferrero | 34 | 16 | 47% |
At 22, Alcaraz has already equalled the tally of his former coach, whom he split with at the end of the 2025 season.
During Sky Sports’ post-match coverage, Colin Fleming shared his thoughts on the record.
“The majority of the players on the list are Grand Slam champions, top players, and you’re talking about the course of their whole careers,” he said.
“[Carlos] Alcaraz at 22, already equal with [Juan Carlos] Ferrero, it won’t take him long, you wouldn’t think for him to chase down [Sergi] Bruguera and indeed [Carlos] Moya.
“Will he chase down [Rafael] Nadal? It’s possible.”
Nadal’s record seems a long way off, but you never know…
Carlos Alcaraz beats Andrey Rublev in ‘incredible match’ at the Qatar Open
Alcaraz tied Ferrero’s record on Friday, but how did he do it?
Fleming shared his assessment of Alcaraz’s 7-6, 6-4 win in Doha.
“What a pleasure and a privilege to watch these two go at it this evening, incredible match, similar to the Alcaraz/[Karen] Khachanov match last night. Some of the most amazing points…” he said.
“These guys hit 50 winners at each other, combined.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Andrey Rublev – Match stats
| Stats | Carlos Alcaraz | Andrey Rublev |
| Aces | 3 | 1 |
| Double faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 68% | 59% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 62% | 63% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 52% | 42% |
| Break points | 5/11 | 4/13 |
| Winners | 26 | 19 |
| Unforced errors | 31 | 29 |
“Alcaraz will get the headlines for the win, but how good is it to see Andrey Rublev back playing that sort of tennis, competing in that sort of way.
“If he continues to do that, he’ll be flying back up the rankings.
“Somehow, as he so often does, Alcaraz has found a way to get himself across the line.”
Fleming was mightily impressed with the level both players produced in their semifinal match.
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“Such great resistance from Rublev, but just that final little dig to bring up match point was too much for him to take,” he said.
“Seriously physical match, both players struggling for free points on serve.
“They threw everything at each other from the back of the court. Movement was just incredible, particularly from Alcaraz.
“The skillset, Rublev coming to the net, so many times, successfully, a brilliant contest.
“That’s for sure.”
Fleming was happy with what he saw, but what did Alcaraz say after the match?
‘I know what I’m able to do – Carlos Alcaraz reacts to Doha win
During his post-match interview, Alcaraz was asked if he is ever surprised by what he’s able to produce on court.
“Not really,” he said.
“I know what I’m able to do.
“Every time that I step on the court, [I know] what I’m capable of doing.
“For me, it’s great, and obviously, the way that I’m doing, approaching every match, I’m really, really proud about it, because it’s something that I’m trying to be better at, and seeing that it’s being successful and it’s paying off, I’m really happy and proud of myself, getting mature I guess.”
The Spaniard explained how he finds solutions during matches.
“You want to find the solutions to a problem, you should find it in a calm place,” said Alcaraz.
“That’s a really good one.
“Because it’s something I’m working on, when I’m playing and getting bad, I’m just getting frustrated, that’s not the place where you are going to find solutions.
“These matches, I’ve been calm, thinking clearly, being positive, and those places you can find the solutions.”
Alcaraz may need to find a few more solutions when he returns for the Qatar Open final.
The 22-year-old will play either Arthur Fils or Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open final on Saturday, February 21.
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