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Cameron Norrie achieved the biggest victory of his professional journey by rallying from a lost first set to beat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the early stage of the Paris Masters.

Although he had earlier beaten Alcaraz on two separate matches, this victory marks Norrie's maiden win over a current world number one.

"Enormous. Incredibly significant for me," said Norrie, who is now the newest British man in history to beat a top-ranked player. "Returning from a physical setback last year, I was defeated in the initial match of qualifiers here. I just tried to embrace my game in the closing months of the year. To secure a victory like this, it's the most significant success of my career, my first win over the top player and likely the most confident player in the world right now."

Norrie, positioned No 31, also ended Alcaraz's dominant streak of nine finals in a row and 17 straight premier event wins, which marked the best series of outcomes in the Spaniard's developing career.

Match Analysis

The top seed appeared to be moving confidently to success at the start as he eased in the initial stanza. Yet, Norrie steadily fought his way back into the game by delivering with improved accuracy and dragging the Spanish opponent into extended, physical rallies. His relentless shot tolerance and consistency slowly took its toll.

Through most of the contest, the world number one delivered strong serves but he had difficulty to find his timing with his rally strokes. The rising talent looked notably uncomfortable striking his primary weapon, which has been the top weapon in the game for most of this year, committing 29 forehand unforced errors and a total of 54 unforced errors. Across the net, Norrie offered Alcaraz very few errors, sustaining his steadiness, athleticism and penetration all match while serving efficiently and choosing his moments to advance forward and attack well.

Decisive Moments

In the tense last moments, the British competitor superbly held his calm to overcome the best player in the world.

Professional Context

After struggling for a long time due to a major physical setback and challenges with his game, the tennis professional fell as far down as 91st globally this year. Following appearances in the last eight at Wimbledon and the Roland Garros fourth round subsequently, this win reinforces the 30-year-old's progress as he attempts to return to the world's top twenty and beyond. Alcaraz, in spite of his remarkable accomplishments, is has not yet master how to deliver his top form in indoor conditions.