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The British tennis star secured the most notable win of his professional journey by rebounding from a set down to defeat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning comeback in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Although he had before defeated Alcaraz on two occasions, this victory signifies Norrie's initial success over a sitting world number one.

"Enormous. Incredibly significant for me," stated Norrie, who is now the newest British man in the record books to beat a world No 1. "Returning from injury last year, I fell in the first round of qualifying rounds here. I just sought to enjoy my tennis in the closing months of the year. To secure a win like this, it's the biggest win of my tennis journey, my initial victory over the global number one and arguably the most in-form athlete in the world right now."

The British player, positioned 31st globally, also ended Alcaraz's impressive sequence of nine consecutive finals and 17 consecutive premier event victories, which was the finest stretch of outcomes in the Spaniard's early professional path.

Match Overview

Alcaraz looked to be moving confidently towards victory early on as he sailed in the opening set. Yet, Norrie gradually worked himself into contention by executing with improved accuracy and engaging the Spaniard into extended, grueling points. His unceasing steadiness and reliability slowly left its mark.

During large parts of the contest, the world number one delivered strong serves but he had difficulty to find his timing on his baseline shots. The young star looked particularly struggling striking his primary weapon, which has been the most effective stroke in the game for a large part of this season, haemorrhaging 29 forehand miscues and a overall of 54 mistakes. Across the net, Norrie presented his opponent very few errors, keeping up his reliability, athleticism and penetration throughout while serving efficiently and picking his spots to move into the court and attack well.

Final Phase

In the tight closing stages, Norrie expertly held his nerve to close out the best player in the game.

Professional Background

After struggling for an extended period due to a significant physical setback and difficulties with his form, the tennis professional slipped as low as No 91 this year. Having reached the advanced stages at Wimbledon and the clay-court Grand Slam fourth round after that, this triumph reinforces the 30-year-old's development as he attempts to come back to the elite rankings and beyond. The Spanish sensation, notwithstanding his incredible success, is has not yet figure out how to produce his top form on indoor courts.