🔗 Share this article

Cameron Norrie earned the biggest victory of his career by rebounding from a lost first set to defeat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning comeback in the second round of the Paris Masters.

While he had previously defeated Alcaraz on two prior meetings, this victory represents Norrie's first ever success over a reigning world top-ranked player.

"Huge. So big for me," said Norrie, who becomes the newest British man in history to defeat a world No 1. "Bouncing back from injury last year, I lost in the initial match of qualifiers here. I just tried to enjoy my tennis in the latter part of the year. To achieve a triumph like this, it's the greatest victory of my career, my first win over the top player and arguably the most in-form player in the world right now."

The British player, ranked 31st in the world, also halted Alcaraz's dominant streak of nine straight final appearances and 17 successive Masters 1000 successes, which marked the best series of performances in the young champion's early professional path.

Game Overview

Alcaraz appeared to be moving confidently towards victory early on as he cruised past the first set. Nevertheless, the British contender steadily battled back back into the game by delivering with greater precision and pulling the Spaniard into extended, grueling rallies. His relentless steadiness and dependability slowly took its toll.

For much of the match, the world number one served well but he struggled badly to locate his rhythm off his groundstrokes. The young star appeared particularly uncomfortable executing his signature shot, which has been the best shot in the world for much of this season, producing 29 forehand miscues and a combined of 54 errors. Across the net, the British player offered Alcaraz very few errors, sustaining his steadiness, physicality and penetration the entire contest while serving efficiently and picking his spots to force himself into the court and attack well.

Closing Phase

In the tight final games, the British competitor expertly maintained his nerve to defeat the world's finest in the world.

Career Background

After dealing for an extended period due to a serious left forearm injury and challenges with his performance, the tennis professional dropped as low as 91st globally this season. After making the advanced stages at Wimbledon and the French Open fourth round after that, this victory highlights the veteran's improvement as he attempts to return to the top 20 and further. The Spanish sensation, notwithstanding his incredible achievements, is still hasn't figure out how to display his finest performance on indoor courts.