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The British tennis star achieved the most notable win of his professional journey by coming back from a lost first set to defeat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Although he had previously beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this triumph signifies Norrie's first ever victory over a current world No 1.

"Massive. Extremely important for me," said Norrie, who is now the newest UK male player in history to beat a top-ranked player. "Coming back from injury last year, I fell in the initial match of qualifying rounds here. I just tried to appreciate my tennis in the second half of the year. To achieve a victory like this, it's the biggest win of my career, my initial victory over the global number one and probably the most in-form competitor in the sport right now."

The British player, ranked No 31, also halted Alcaraz's impressive streak of nine consecutive finals and 17 straight Masters 1000 wins, which was the best series of performances in the young champion's developing professional path.

Contest Breakdown

Alcaraz appeared to be progressing easily to success early on as he sailed in the first set. However, Norrie steadily fought his way into the match by executing with improved accuracy and engaging the Spanish opponent into lengthy, demanding exchanges. His persistent steadiness and dependability gradually left its mark.

During large parts of the match, the world number one delivered strong serves but he had difficulty to get his timing right off his groundstrokes. The 22-year-old looked particularly uneasy striking his primary weapon, which has been the best shot in the world for most of this season, haemorrhaging 29 mistakes off the forehand side and a overall of 54 mistakes. Opposing him, the British player gave his opponent very few errors, sustaining his consistency, athleticism and power throughout while delivering effective serves and picking his spots to advance forward and attack well.

Final Stages

In the nail-biting last moments, Norrie superbly held his composure to overcome the best player in the sport.

Career Context

Following battling for an extended period due to a major left forearm injury and struggles with his performance, Norrie dropped as far down as No 91 this year. After making the quarter-finals at the grass-court major and the French Open fourth round subsequently, this victory further underlines the experienced player's progress as he seeks to come back to the world's top twenty and even higher. Alcaraz, notwithstanding his extraordinary achievements, is has not yet solve how to display his finest performance on indoor courts.