🔗 Share this article

The British tennis star secured the most notable win of his career by coming back from a early deficit to overcome world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning comeback in the early stage of the Paris Masters.

Even though he had before defeated Alcaraz on two occasions, this triumph represents Norrie's maiden victory over a sitting world No 1.

"Massive. Extremely important for me," said Norrie, who is now the fifth English competitor in history to beat a global number one. "Returning from a physical setback last year, I lost in the initial match of qualies here. I just tried to embrace my game in the latter part of the year. To secure a win like this, it's the greatest win of my career, my maiden triumph over the top player and probably the strongest competitor in the tennis scene right now."

Norrie, positioned No 31, also stopped Alcaraz's dominant streak of nine finals in a row and 17 consecutive Masters 1000 successes, which was the top run of performances in the young champion's early professional path.

Match Overview

The top seed looked to be progressing easily to success at the start as he cruised past the initial stanza. Nevertheless, the British contender slowly battled back back into the game by delivering with improved accuracy and pulling the Spanish opponent into prolonged, grueling points. His persistent steadiness and consistency steadily left its mark.

For much of the battle, the world number one performed well on serve but he found it challenging to locate his rhythm on his baseline shots. The 22-year-old looked especially uneasy hitting his signature shot, which has been the most effective stroke in the game for most of this year, committing 29 mistakes off the forehand side and a total of 54 errors. Across the net, Norrie gave his opponent minimal unforced errors, sustaining his steadiness, physicality and penetration throughout while performing well on serve and selecting opportunities to force himself into the court and play aggressively.

Final Moments

In the nail-biting closing stages, Norrie brilliantly maintained his nerve to overcome the top competitor in the game.

Professional Journey

After battling for an extended period due to a major left forearm injury and difficulties with his game, Norrie slipped as low as 91st in the rankings this year. After making the quarter-finals at the grass-court major and the clay-court Grand Slam round of 16 subsequently, this win reinforces the veteran's development as he aims to come back to the elite rankings and beyond. Alcaraz, in spite of his incredible achievements, is has not yet solve how to display his finest performance in indoor conditions.