Cameron Norrie earned his first win against the world No. 1 at the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday, shocking an undersized Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round in the French capital.
Competing for the first time since winning his eighth title of the season as Tour leader in Tokyo at the end of September, Alcaraz was far from his best in his eighth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Norrie (5-3 in favor of Alcaraz). The top seed committed 54 unforced errors and struggled with his timing and footwork for unusually long periods.
Despite winning the first set, Alcaraz was constantly searching for a level that was never reached and had a lively conversation with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero on the court after dropping the second set. The defeat ends Alcaraz’s 17-match winning streak at the ATP Masters 1000 events, dating back to Miami in March, when he also fell in his opening match. The Spaniard won trophies in Monte Carlo, Rome and Cincinnati.
Alcaraz could now relinquish first place on the PIF ATP rankings this week, after losing only his eighth match of the season. If Jannik Sinner wins the title in Paris, he will return to number 1 in the world for the first time since the US Open.
However, in the battle for ATP year-end number 1 presented by PIF awards, Alcaraz remains in a strong position. He currently leads the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, a key indicator of the year-end rankings, with 2,040 points.
With his upset victory, Norrie defeated a world number 1 for the first time in his fifth attempt. The British lefty is in the round of 16 of a Masters 1000 event for the first time since Rome in 2023 and has equaled his best result in Paris (R3, 2021). The 30-year-old, who won his only Masters 1000 crown at Indian Wells in 2021, raised his fist in the air after sealing victory on his second match point before turning to his box to celebrate.
Although Alcaraz is known as one of the game’s best shot makers, it was Norrie who stole the early spotlight, hitting a backhand passing shot on the game’s fourth point.
With both players wanting to move forward and dictate the game, a crucial moment came: 2-2 in the opening set. Norrie double-faulted at deuce and opened the door for Alcaraz, who then converted his first break point by hitting a forehand crosscourt into the Brit’s backhand. After winning the opening set, Alcaraz struggled in the second set. The Spaniard could not find a rhythm in the baseline exchanges and could not deal with the British southpaw’s heavy topspin forehand, with Norrie forcing a decider.
The Spaniard had a chat with Ferrero prior to the third set, with both seemingly expressing their thoughts on the performance. Alcaraz’s timing was off in the third set and he lost his serve in the seventh game of the set when a pumped Norrie fired a backhand pass crosscourt. Under pressure, Norrie fended off two break points in the next match and held his nerve to prevail after two hours and 22 minutes, according to ATP Infosys Stats.
Norrie then faces a wildcard, Valentin Vacherot or Arthur Rinderknech, who are cousins. Vacherot capped his fairytale run at this month’s Rolex Shanghai Masters with a championship victory against Rinderknech, a fitting conclusion to the Hollywood-worthy story. Vacherot, then world number 204, became the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in history (since 1990).
Did you know?
Norrie is the third player in tournament history to upset the best player in the opening round in Paris. Julien Benneteau defeated Roger Federer in 2009 and Marc Rosset upset Pete Sampras in 1996.
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