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Cameron Norrie achieved the most notable victory of his career by rallying from a lost first set to beat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters.

While he had before overcome Alcaraz on two separate matches, this victory represents Norrie's first ever victory over a current world top-ranked player.

"Massive. Extremely important for me," said Norrie, who is now the latest English competitor in the record books to defeat a top-ranked player. "Coming back from health issues last year, I lost in the opening stage of qualies here. I just tried to appreciate my performance in the closing months of the year. To get a victory like this, it's the biggest win of my professional life, my maiden triumph over the global number one and likely the strongest competitor in the tennis scene right now."

The British player, seeded 31st globally, also stopped Alcaraz's dominant run of nine consecutive finals and 17 consecutive elite tournament victories, which was the finest stretch of results in the Spaniard's young professional path.

Game Overview

Alcaraz seemed to be progressing easily to a win at the start as he sailed past the initial stanza. Nevertheless, Norrie steadily fought his way back into the game by delivering with improved accuracy and engaging the Spanish opponent into prolonged, physical points. His unceasing steadiness and dependability steadily made an impact.

For much of the battle, Alcaraz performed well on serve but he had difficulty to get his timing right off his groundstrokes. The rising talent appeared notably uncomfortable executing his primary weapon, which has been the best shot in the world for much of this year, committing 29 forehand miscues and a combined of 54 unforced errors. Opposing him, the British player gave his opponent very few errors, sustaining his steadiness, physicality and depth all match while delivering effective serves and choosing his moments to force himself inside the baseline and play aggressively.

Final Moments

In the tight last moments, Norrie superbly kept his nerve to overcome the top competitor in the sport.

Personal Journey

After battling for an extended period due to a serious arm issue and challenges with his performance, Norrie slipped as far down as No 91 this year. After making the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the clay-court Grand Slam second week since then, this win highlights the veteran's development as he attempts to return to the elite rankings and even higher. The Spanish sensation, notwithstanding his extraordinary achievements, is yet to solve how to produce his finest performance on indoor courts.