WORLD No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz appeared out of sync as he fell to unseeded Cameron Norrie, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday (Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, PH time).
The six-time Grand Slam champion was visibly frustrated, even engaging in an animated discussion with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after dropping the second set.
Norrie clinched the upset on his second match point, firing a strong first serve that Alcaraz returned long. It marked the Briton’s first career victory over a world No. 1.
Alcaraz struggled with consistency throughout, committing 54 unforced errors and winning only 64 percent of his first-serve points. The defeat was his third loss in eight meetings with Norrie and their first encounter on an indoor court.
The result also halted Alcaraz’s 17-match winning streak in Masters events. With the loss, second-ranked Jannik Sinner could overtake him atop the ATP rankings if he captures the Paris title. Sinner faces Zizou Bergs on Wednesday (Thursday in PH).
Despite the setback, Alcaraz has enjoyed a stellar season with eight titles, including three Masters crowns and two Grand Slam victories at the French Open and U.S. Open.
The Spaniard admitted he couldn’t explain his flat performance.
“I had a lot of practices where I was feeling great, moving on the court, hitting the ball,” Alcaraz said. “Even in the first set that I won, I felt I could do much more. I tried to improve in the second set, but it was totally the opposite.”
He also gave credit to his opponent.
“I have to give credit to Cam,” Alcaraz said. “He didn’t let me stay in or come back into the match.”
Norrie will next face the winner of the Valentin Vacherot–Arthur Rinderknech match. Earlier Tuesday, Vacherot upset 14th-seeded Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 6-3 to advance.
The Monegasque player meets Rinderknech just over two weeks after defeating him in the Shanghai Masters final, where he completed a remarkable run from qualifying to capture his first career title and break into the top 40. / From the wires