🔗 Share this article

The British tennis star earned the biggest win of his professional journey by rallying from a set down to defeat top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz in three hard-fought sets in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Even though he had previously defeated Alcaraz on two separate matches, this victory marks Norrie's maiden win over a current world No 1.

"Enormous. So big for me," stated Norrie, who joins as the fifth British man in the record books to overcome a world No 1. "Coming back from health issues last year, I was defeated in the first round of qualies here. I just tried to enjoy my game in the closing months of the year. To achieve a triumph like this, it's the biggest victory of my career, my initial victory over the top player and likely the most in-form competitor in the sport right now."

The British player, seeded No 31, also halted Alcaraz's supreme sequence of nine finals in a row and 17 straight premier event victories, which represented the top run of outcomes in the Spaniard's developing professional path.

Contest Breakdown

Alcaraz appeared to be advancing smoothly to a win at the start as he sailed through the first set. Yet, Norrie gradually battled back back into the game by executing with improved accuracy and engaging the Spaniard into extended, demanding rallies. His unceasing consistency and reliability gradually took its toll.

For much of the match, Alcaraz performed well on serve but he found it challenging to find his timing off his groundstrokes. The 22-year-old looked especially struggling striking his primary weapon, which has been the top weapon in the sport for most of this season, producing 29 forehand miscues and a combined of 54 mistakes. On the other side, the British player presented Alcaraz so few mistakes, maintaining his consistency, athleticism and power throughout while serving efficiently and choosing his moments to advance into the court and attack well.

Closing Moments

In the nail-biting final games, Norrie superbly held his composure to close out the top competitor in the sport.

Personal Journey

After struggling for months due to a significant arm issue and challenges with his form, the tennis professional fell as far down as No 91 this year. Following appearances in the advanced stages at the grass-court major and the clay-court Grand Slam second week since then, this triumph reinforces the experienced player's progress as he aims to make his way to the world's top twenty and even higher. Alcaraz, in spite of his remarkable success, is has not yet figure out how to display his best tennis on indoor courts.