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Cameron Norrie secured the most notable victory of his professional journey by coming back from a lost first set to overcome world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the early stage of the Paris Masters.

While he had earlier defeated Alcaraz on two occasions, this win represents Norrie's first ever victory over a current world number one.

"Enormous. So big for me," said Norrie, who joins as the fifth English competitor in the record books to defeat a world No 1. "Coming back from a physical setback last year, I lost in the initial match of qualies here. I just tried to appreciate my performance in the latter part of the year. To get a triumph like this, it's the greatest win of my career, my initial victory over the world No 1 and probably the most confident player in the world right now."

Norrie, ranked No 31, also halted Alcaraz's impressive sequence of nine finals in a row and 17 straight Masters 1000 wins, which was the top run of outcomes in the Spanish star's young professional path.

Contest Breakdown

The top seed appeared to be advancing smoothly to a win at the start as he cruised through the initial stanza. Yet, Norrie steadily worked himself into the match by executing with improved accuracy and pulling the Spaniard into lengthy, grueling rallies. His relentless steadiness and consistency steadily took its toll.

For much of the battle, the world number one performed well on serve but he struggled badly to find his timing on his baseline shots. The 22-year-old looked notably uneasy hitting his forehand, which has been the top weapon in the game for much of this year, committing 29 mistakes off the forehand side and a combined of 54 mistakes. Across the net, the British player presented Alcaraz very few errors, keeping up his consistency, fitness and penetration all match while serving efficiently and choosing his moments to move forward and play aggressively.

Closing Stages

In the tight final games, Norrie superbly maintained his composure to close out the best player in the world.

Career Background

Following battling for an extended period due to a significant arm issue and struggles with his game, Norrie slipped as low as 91st in the rankings this year. After making the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the French Open fourth round subsequently, this victory reinforces the 30-year-old's improvement as he attempts to make his way to the world's top twenty and further. Alcaraz, in spite of his incredible achievements, is has not yet master how to deliver his best tennis on indoor courts.