🔗 Share this article

The British tennis star secured the biggest victory of his professional journey by coming back from a lost first set to beat top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz in three hard-fought sets in the early stage of the Paris Masters.

Even though he had previously beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this triumph marks Norrie's maiden victory over a reigning world number one.

"Enormous. Incredibly significant for me," commented Norrie, who is now the latest English competitor in history to beat a global number one. "Returning from injury last year, I was defeated in the opening stage of qualifying rounds here. I just aimed to appreciate my tennis in the closing months of the year. To get a win like this, it's the biggest success of my professional life, my initial victory over the global number one and probably the strongest athlete in the tennis scene right now."

Norrie, seeded No 31, also stopped Alcaraz's impressive streak of nine consecutive finals and 17 consecutive elite tournament victories, which represented the finest stretch of outcomes in the young champion's young career.

Game Overview

Alcaraz seemed to be advancing smoothly to success at the start as he eased through the initial stanza. Yet, the British contender steadily worked himself into the match by serving with improved accuracy and dragging the Spaniard into extended, physical rallies. His persistent steadiness and consistency steadily took its toll.

During large parts of the battle, Alcaraz delivered strong serves but he struggled badly to locate his rhythm with his rally strokes. The 22-year-old looked especially uneasy executing his primary weapon, which has been the most effective stroke in the world for much of this season, producing 29 mistakes off the forehand side and a combined of 54 errors. Opposing him, Norrie presented Alcaraz very few errors, keeping up his reliability, fitness and depth throughout while serving efficiently and picking his spots to move forward and attack well.

Final Phase

In the tight last moments, Norrie superbly kept his composure to close out the best player in the world.

Personal Background

After struggling for an extended period due to a significant physical setback and difficulties with his game, Norrie dropped as low as 91st globally this season. Having reached the advanced stages at Wimbledon and the Roland Garros second week since then, this victory highlights the experienced player's improvement as he aims to make his way to the elite rankings and even higher. The Spanish sensation, in spite of his incredible achievements, is yet to figure out how to deliver his top form indoors.