Britain’s Cameron Norrie hailed his shock victory over Carlos Alcaraz as “the biggest win of my career” after rallying from a set down to reach the last 16 of the Paris Masters.
Norrie, who lost to the Spaniard in straight sets in this year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals, battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win in the second round of the ATP Masters 1,000 event in the French capital.
“This win is huge for me,” said the world No.31, who missed both the Olympic Games in Paris and the US Open last year due to a forearm injury. “I lost in the first round of qualifying here last year, so to come back from injury and get my first win over a world No.1 — and probably the most confident player on tour right now — feels amazing.”
After Alcaraz claimed the opening set, Norrie struck back with an early break in the second before holding firm to level the match. The Brit then produced a brilliant backhand pass to break the Spaniard in the decider and saved two break points to seal victory.
“I actually went for a walk this morning with my coach, talking through what I’d tell myself if I was serving for the match,” Norrie revealed. “I was so tight serving yesterday against Baez, so I told myself I deserved to be in that moment. It really helped me stay relaxed — it was a very important walk.”
The 29-year-old, who beat Sebastian Baez in straight sets in the first round, will next face the winner of the all-French clash between wildcards — and cousins — Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech.
Alcaraz, who committed 54 unforced errors in his first match since winning the Japan Open in late September, admitted his frustration after the loss.
“I’m really disappointed with my level,” the Spaniard said. “Even in the first set, which I won, I felt I could have done much more. But credit to Cam — he played a really solid match and that made the difference.”
The defeat also jeopardises Alcaraz’s world No.1 ranking, with Jannik Sinner able to overtake him if he wins the Paris title.
