Norrie

Britain’s Cameron Norrie described his upset of Carlos Alcaraz as “the biggest win of my career” as he reached the Paris Masters last 16 with a gritty comeback against the world number one.

Norrie, who was beaten in straight sets by the Spaniard in this year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals, won 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the second round of the ATP Masters 1,000 event in the French capital.

“This win is so big for me,” said Norrie, who missed the Olympic Games in Paris and the US Open last year because of a forearm injury.

“I had lost the first round of the qualifiers here last year. Coming back from my injury, I’ve been trying to enjoy my tennis in the second half of the year and I was able to do that.

“To get the biggest win of my career, my first win over a world number one, and probably the most confident player in the world right now, I am pleased with the way I did it.”

Alcaraz won the first set before Norrie responded strongly in the second by breaking early and maintaining his momentum to set up the decider.

The world number 31 then played an incredible backhand pass to break Alcaraz in the final set and saved two break points on his way to victory.

“I actually went for a walk this morning with my coach and we talked through serving for the match and what I needed to tell myself,” said Norrie, who beat Sebastian Baez in straight sets in Monday’s first round.

“I was so, so tight serving for the match yesterday against Baez.

“I told myself I deserved to be in this moment, I want to be here, and I felt quite relaxed.

“It was a nice walk, a very important walk.”

The Briton will next face the winner of the second-round match between wildcards – and cousins – Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech.

Alcaraz, who registered 54 unforced errors on Tuesday, was returning from an ankle injury and playing his first match on the tour since beating Taylor Fritz in the Japan Open final at the end of September.

He now risks losing his number one ranking if rival Jannik Sinner, who will face Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the second, goes on to win the Paris tournament.

“I’m really disappointed about my level,” Alcaraz said after the defeat.

“I had all the ideas clear, all the goals clear but even in the first set which I won, I felt I could do a lot more than I actually did.

“I have to give credit to Cam. He played really well, a solid match, and I think that was the key.”

Britain’s Cameron Norrie is “pumped” to face world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the Paris Masters after beating Sebastian Baez in straight sets.

The world number 31 beat Argentine Baez, ranked 12 places below him, 6-3 6-4 in a match which featured six breaks of serve.

Norrie won the opening three games before having his serve broken to 15 as Baez pulled it back to 3-3.

However, the 30-year-old regrouped to win the next three games, converting his second set point.

Norrie threatened to throw away a 3-0 lead again in the second set, saving a break point in the sixth game, and later saved four more in the 10th game before closing out the match at the first opportunity.

“I was really tight going to serve for the match. I said I was going to pretend it was 0-30 and then it was 0-30 and 0-40,” Norrie told Sky Sports.

“It was about getting the job done and it was nice to face some adversity. It was not a typical match. He fought well.”

Norrie will meet Alcaraz, who exited last year’s tournament in the third round, on Tuesday, with the Spaniard playing his first match on tour since beating Taylor Fritz in the Japan Open final at the end of September.

Alcaraz has won five of their seven meetings, most recently beating Norrie in straight sets in this year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Norrie’s compatriot Jacob Fearnley is in first-round action later on Monday against 12th seed Andrey Rublev.

Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie claimed a first win since September’s US Open, beating Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in a third-set tie-break at the Shanghai Masters.

The British number two was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the third round at Flushing Meadows and has since tasted back-to-back defeats in Chengdu and Beijing.

But it proved to be third-time lucky in China for Norrie as the five-time winner on the ATP Tour clinched a rollercoaster 6-3 0-6 7-6 (7-5) win over the world number 70.

Norrie, the 30th seed and ranked 33rd in the world, showed all his experience as he breezed through the opening set courtesy of two breaks, making just four unforced errors and barely dropping a point on serve.

Yet 23-year-old Cazaux came out firing in the second set, claiming a first break of serve in the opening game before going on to inflict just a seventh bagel – 6-0 defeat – of Norrie’s career.

The Briton did well to regroup in the third, once again showing too much guile for his younger opponent, outfoxing him with his left-hand serve to regain a measure of control.

Neither player was able to make a dent on their opponent’s serve, as they struggled through hot and humid conditions, but a double fault from Cazaux in the third point of the tie-break ultimately proved the difference in a match that lasted two hours.

After being given a bye in the first round, Norrie’s first win at a Masters 1000 event since May, when he won on the clay in Rome, set up a third-round match against 19-year-old American Learner Tien.

Great Britain took a big step towards next year’s Davis Cup qualifiers as Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery both won to give them a 2-0 lead over Poland.

World number 34 Norrie survived a scare against world number 545 Tomasz Berkieta to win his nation’s opening World Group 1 match 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 in Gdynia, Poland.

Fery, ranked 227 in the world, then battled to a 6-4 6-2 victory over Olaf Pieczkowski, ranked 484.

The 23-year-old was making his Davis Cup debut after British number three Jacob Fearnley pulled out with a rib injury.

Britain need one more win on Saturday to reach February’s first round and therefore have a shot at winning the title in 2026.

The world’s number one doubles pair, Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash, will make their debut in Saturday’s doubles, which will be followed by two reverse singles.

World number seven Jack Draper was unavailable for the tie because of an arm injury which has ruled him out of the remainder of the season.

Before the match, British number two Norrie said he was “ready for anything” from seventh seed Djokovic – including seeing his opponent struggle with fitness issues before regaining his level.

However, the world number 35 was still not able to drag Djokovic into gruelling physical exchanges as he hoped.

Norrie briefly threatened to cause a shock when he moved a break up early in the third set.

But Djokovic instantly hit back – helped by his opponent hitting a double fault on break point – before regaining control with a precise serving game which Norrie largely failed to trouble.

Djokovic became the oldest man to reach US Open fourth round since Jimmy Connors, who was also aged 38, in 1991.

“I’m still trying to find my groove. Today I played the best I have so far in the tournament,” Djokovic said.

On his fitness, he added: “You have some ups and downs but you don’t want to reveal too much to your rivals. I’m as young and as strong as ever.”

“The chances are getting better as the years ago on – although not by much,” said Norrie, who is ranked 35th in the world.

“The level he brings and the competitiveness he brings is crazy. Every time I’ve played him he changes tactics and makes it difficult.

“I’m ready for anything – him playing unreal, or him not playing great and stopping the match for something, then playing good.”

Djokovic looked unsteady on his feet in humid conditions during his first-round win over Learner Tien and needed treatment for a blister on his toe.

Seventh seed Djokovic had not played for six weeks before the US Open and showed more signs of rustiness on Wednesday, dropping a set against American qualifier Zachary Svajda.

It is always dangerous to suggest Djokovic looks vulnerable, and Norrie is certainly wary.

But Norrie’s brand of tennis – trying to make things physical and drag Djokovic into an energy-sapping scrap – could be key if the former world number eight is to snap his losing streak against the Serb great.

“”I will have to beat him with physicality,” said Norrie, who showed his own survival instincts in a four-set battle against Argentina’s Francisco Comesana on Wednesday.

“I did see the blister but he’s the king of adversity. He fights and pushes through it.

“I’m not going to be a servebot and serve him off the court.”

A “nervous” Norrie was worried about being first on court at 11:00 local time and need to fuel up before playing an opponent who was ranked inside the top 20 a year ago – and against whom he had lost three of four past meetings.

Ultimately the 30-year-old did not need to be overly concerned, as Norrie was leading 7-5 6-4 when Korda, 25, ended the match early.

American Korda only returned to tour action last week following a near three-month shin stress fracture lay-off.

He called a medical timeout at the start of the second set against Norrie when he appeared to be struggling with an abdominal issue.

Although Korda persevered for the remainder of the set he was unwilling to go any further, sending Norrie through to face either Argentine Francisco Comesana or American Alex Michelsen.

Norrie, who withdrew from the 2024 US Open with an arm injury, made his debut at Flushing Meadows in 2017 but still feels the nerves in New York.

“I was very nervous for the match,” said Norrie.

“Playing a Grand Slam match at 11am and trying to get rice down at 10am is not easy!”

On Korda’s retirement, Norrie said: “I feel for Sebastian. He’s been out the whole summer, he’s an amazing talent and he’s beaten me the last few times we’ve played.

“It’s tough to see him ending like that.”