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

While he had before beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this victory signifies Norrie's first ever win over a sitting world No 1.

"Massive. So big for me," commented Norrie, who becomes the fifth British man in history to beat a top-ranked player. "Bouncing back from injury last year, I fell in the first round of qualifying rounds here. I just aimed to enjoy my tennis in the second half of the year. To achieve a triumph like this, it's the greatest win of my tennis journey, my maiden triumph over the top player and likely the most confident athlete in the world right now."

Norrie, ranked No 31, also stopped Alcaraz's supreme run of nine straight final appearances and 17 successive premier event victories, which was the top run of performances in the Spaniard's early professional path.

Match Overview

Alcaraz appeared to be moving confidently to success early on as he cruised in the opening set. Yet, the British contender gradually battled back into the match by delivering with improved accuracy and engaging the Spanish opponent into prolonged, physical rallies. His unceasing shot tolerance and consistency steadily left its mark.

For much of the match, the world number one served well but he found it challenging to find his timing on his baseline shots. The rising talent seemed particularly struggling hitting his forehand, which has been the top weapon in the sport for most of this season, producing 29 forehand miscues and a total of 54 unforced errors. Opposing him, Norrie gave Alcaraz very few errors, sustaining his consistency, fitness and depth throughout while serving efficiently and selecting opportunities to force himself inside the baseline and strike effectively.

Closing Phase

In the tense final games, Norrie expertly maintained his nerve to close out the best player in the sport.

Professional Journey

After battling for a long time due to a significant physical setback and difficulties with his performance, the tennis professional dropped as low as No 91 this year. Having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the clay-court Grand Slam round of 16 since then, this victory highlights the veteran's progress as he attempts to return to the world's top twenty and further. The Spanish sensation, notwithstanding his incredible accomplishments, is yet to figure out how to display his best tennis indoors.