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

Even though he had earlier beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this victory signifies Norrie's first ever victory over a current world number one.

"Enormous. Incredibly significant for me," commented Norrie, who becomes the newest British man in history to beat a world No 1. "Bouncing back from injury last year, I was defeated in the opening stage of qualifying rounds here. I just sought to appreciate my performance in the latter part of the year. To secure a triumph like this, it's the most significant win of my career, my maiden triumph over the global number one and likely the most in-form player in the world right now."

Norrie, ranked 31st globally, also ended Alcaraz's dominant streak of nine straight final appearances and 17 successive Masters 1000 wins, which was the top run of outcomes in the Spaniard's developing career.

Contest Analysis

Alcaraz looked to be progressing easily to a win at the start as he eased past the initial stanza. Yet, Norrie steadily worked himself back into the game by delivering with greater precision and pulling the Spaniard into extended, grueling exchanges. His unceasing consistency and dependability steadily left its mark.

During large parts of the match, Alcaraz performed well on serve but he found it challenging to locate his rhythm on his baseline shots. The 22-year-old seemed notably uncomfortable striking his forehand, which has been the most effective stroke in the game for most of this year, producing 29 forehand miscues and a total of 54 errors. Across the net, Norrie gave Alcaraz so few mistakes, maintaining his steadiness, physicality and depth throughout while performing well on serve and picking his spots to move forward and attack well.

Closing Stages

In the tense final games, the British competitor expertly kept his nerve to close out the top competitor in the sport.

Professional Background

After dealing for months due to a major left forearm injury and challenges with his performance, the tennis professional slipped as low as No 91 this season. Having reached the last eight at Wimbledon and the French Open round of 16 subsequently, this win highlights the 30-year-old's improvement as he attempts to come back to the top 20 and even higher. The Spanish sensation, notwithstanding his incredible accomplishments, is has not yet solve how to display his best tennis on indoor courts.