🔗 Share this article

The British tennis star earned the most important win of his career by rebounding from a lost first set to defeat top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning comeback in the second round of the Paris Masters.

While he had before overcome Alcaraz on two occasions, this triumph represents Norrie's first ever victory over a sitting world number one.

"Enormous. Extremely important for me," said Norrie, who becomes the latest English competitor in history to beat a top-ranked player. "Bouncing back from injury last year, I was defeated in the opening stage of qualifying rounds here. I just tried to enjoy my performance in the closing months of the year. To achieve a win like this, it's the biggest victory of my professional life, my initial victory over the top player and probably the most confident player in the world right now."

The British player, positioned 31st in the world, also ended Alcaraz's supreme sequence of nine consecutive finals and 17 straight Masters 1000 wins, which represented the finest stretch of performances in the Spaniard's young career.

Contest Overview

Alcaraz seemed to be moving confidently towards victory in the beginning as he cruised past the first set. Nevertheless, the British contender steadily fought his way back into the game by delivering with greater precision and dragging the Spaniard into extended, demanding rallies. His persistent shot tolerance and consistency gradually made an impact.

Through most of the match, Alcaraz delivered strong serves but he had difficulty to find his timing on his baseline shots. The young star appeared notably uneasy executing his primary weapon, which has been the top weapon in the sport for a large part of this season, haemorrhaging 29 mistakes off the forehand side and a overall of 54 unforced errors. Opposing him, Norrie offered his opponent very few errors, sustaining his steadiness, athleticism and depth all match while delivering effective serves and picking his spots to advance forward and attack well.

Decisive Stages

In the tight last moments, the British competitor expertly kept his composure to overcome the world's finest in the game.

Career Context

After dealing for a long time due to a serious physical setback and difficulties with his form, the tennis professional dropped as far down as No 91 this year. Having reached the quarter-finals at the grass-court major and the French Open fourth round since then, this victory reinforces the 30-year-old's improvement as he aims to make his way to the top 20 and even higher. Alcaraz, despite his remarkable success, is still hasn't solve how to display his finest performance in indoor conditions.