Paris
Britain’s Cameron Norrie pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Paris Masters, snapping the Spaniard’s 17-match winning streak at ATP Masters 1000 events.
Alcaraz, fresh from his eighth title of the year in Tokyo, looked out of sorts throughout the contest, committing 54 unforced errors and visibly showing frustration during tense exchanges with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. After taking the opening set, the six-time Grand Slam champion failed to sustain his rhythm, allowing Norrie to wrest control of the match with patient baseline play and clutch serving.
The 29-year-old Brit saved two crucial break points in the seventh game of the decider and held firm to close out the match after two hours and 22 minutes, celebrating what he described as the biggest win of his career.
“Massive victory, so big for me,” Norrie said. “I’ve been coming back from injury and just trying to enjoy my tennis. To beat a world number one and someone as confident as Alcaraz—it feels incredible.”
The defeat marked Alcaraz’s first loss before a final since March, ending a dominant run that included titles in Monte Carlo, Rome, and Cincinnati. The setback also threatens his year-end No. 1 ranking, which could slip to Jannik Sinner if the Italian wins the Paris crown.
For Norrie, the victory secured his first appearance in the Masters Round of 16 since 2023 in Rome, matching his best performance in Paris from 2021. He will next face Valentin Vacherot or Arthur Rinderknech, who meet on Wednesday in a rematch of the Shanghai Masters final.
