🔗 Share this article

Cameron Norrie achieved the biggest success of his career by rallying from a set down to beat top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Even though he had before beaten Alcaraz on two prior meetings, this triumph signifies Norrie's first ever win over a sitting world top-ranked player.

"Massive. So big for me," commented Norrie, who becomes the newest UK male player in the record books to beat a top-ranked player. "Coming back from health issues last year, I lost in the initial match of qualies here. I just aimed to appreciate my performance in the closing months of the year. To achieve a win like this, it's the most significant win of my professional life, my initial victory over the global number one and arguably the most confident competitor in the tennis scene right now."

The British player, positioned 31st globally, also stopped Alcaraz's dominant run of nine straight final appearances and 17 successive Masters 1000 wins, which was the best series of outcomes in the Spaniard's young professional path.

Contest Overview

Alcaraz looked to be advancing smoothly towards victory early on as he sailed past the opening set. Nevertheless, Norrie gradually worked himself into the match by delivering with greater precision and pulling the Spanish opponent into lengthy, grueling points. His relentless steadiness and reliability slowly took its toll.

During large parts of the contest, the world number one performed well on serve but he struggled badly to locate his rhythm with his rally strokes. The rising talent seemed notably uncomfortable striking his forehand, which has been the best shot in the sport for most of this season, producing 29 forehand miscues and a total of 54 errors. Across the net, Norrie presented his opponent very few errors, maintaining his consistency, athleticism and power throughout while performing well on serve and choosing his moments to move inside the baseline and strike effectively.

Final Phase

In the tight closing stages, the British competitor expertly held his calm to defeat the best player in the world.

Personal Context

After battling for an extended period due to a significant left forearm injury and struggles with his form, the tennis professional dropped as low as No 91 this season. After making the advanced stages at the grass-court major and the clay-court Grand Slam second week after that, this win further underlines the veteran's progress as he aims to come back to the elite rankings and even higher. The Spanish sensation, despite his extraordinary success, is still hasn't master how to deliver his best tennis on indoor courts.