Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz performs a backhand return to Britain’s Cameron Norrie throughout their males’s singles match on day two of the Paris ATP Masters 1000 tennis event on the Paris La Défense Enviornment in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, on October 28, 2025. — AFP
PARIS: World primary Carlos Alcaraz was shocked in his opening match on the Paris Masters on Tuesday as he went right down to Thirty first-ranked Briton Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The six-time Grand Slam champion has by no means received the Paris Masters in 5 makes an attempt and now faces dropping his place atop the rankings ought to rival Jannik Sinner win the event within the French capital.
Coming back from three weeks out of official competitors on account of an ankle problem, Alcaraz claimed the opening set as he displayed his standard mixture of fireplace and aptitude.
Nonetheless, very similar to his finally profitable run on the French Open this spring, the Spaniard’s stage dropped off a cliff mid-match.
This time, he was made to pay.
“I’m really disappointed about my level today,” Alcaraz advised reporters after the loss.
“I had all the ideas clear, all the goals clear, but today, even in the first set, which I won, I felt I could do a lot more than I actually did.
“I’ve to offer credit score to Cam… He performed very well immediately, a strong match, and I believe that was the important thing.”
The mercurial Norrie, who drew his fair share of admiring gasps from the 17,500-capacity centre court at the La Defense Arena, capitalised on his opponent’s errors by breaking him twice at crucial times in the second and third sets.
The 30-year-old said the win was “possibly the primary” of his career.
“I have been working actually arduous this 12 months, so it is good to get a win like this to make it price it,” added the previous world quantity eight.
Throughout the interval earlier than the decider, Alcaraz had an animated dialogue along with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.
It was to no avail, nonetheless, because the El Palmar native continued to be wayward along with his first serve and backhand.
Alcaraz saved break factors on consecutive video games earlier than it was third time fortunate for Norrie because the Briton lastly broke at 3-3 to shut in on victory.
Alcaraz made him serve it out, and a primary match level went begging as a groundstroke by Norrie bobbled twice on the web twine earlier than agonisingly falling on his facet of the online.
However the Briton composed himself to seal the victory on the second time of asking and earn his third profession win over the 22-year-old.
