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The British tennis star earned the biggest success of his career by coming back from a set down to beat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz with a stunning comeback in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Although he had previously beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this victory marks Norrie's maiden victory over a reigning world number one.

"Massive. Incredibly significant for me," said Norrie, who joins as the latest UK male player in history to defeat a world No 1. "Returning from a physical setback last year, I fell in the initial match of qualifying rounds here. I just aimed to enjoy my tennis in the latter part of the year. To secure a win like this, it's the biggest success of my tennis journey, my initial victory over the world No 1 and likely the strongest player in the tennis scene right now."

The British player, ranked No 31, also ended Alcaraz's dominant run of nine straight final appearances and 17 consecutive premier event victories, which marked the best series of results in the Spaniard's young professional path.

Contest Breakdown

The top seed looked to be moving confidently to a win in the beginning as he sailed past the initial stanza. Yet, Norrie steadily fought his way into contention by serving with greater precision and engaging the Spanish opponent into prolonged, demanding rallies. His unceasing shot tolerance and reliability steadily left its mark.

During large parts of the contest, the world number one performed well on serve but he had difficulty to get his timing right on his baseline shots. The young star looked especially uneasy hitting his forehand, which has been the most effective stroke in the game for a large part of this year, producing 29 forehand miscues and a combined of 54 mistakes. Opposing him, Norrie offered Alcaraz so few mistakes, maintaining his steadiness, athleticism and depth all match while serving efficiently and selecting opportunities to move inside the baseline and play aggressively.

Closing Stages

In the nail-biting last moments, the British competitor superbly maintained his calm to defeat the best player in the game.

Personal Context

After battling for months due to a significant physical setback and difficulties with his form, the tennis professional slipped as low as 91st globally this season. Following appearances in the advanced stages at Wimbledon and the Roland Garros round of 16 since then, this win highlights the experienced player's improvement as he seeks to make his way to the top 20 and further. Alcaraz, despite his remarkable achievements, is still hasn't solve how to deliver his finest performance on indoor courts.