"Honestly, I thought it was going to go over" - Cameron Norrie recalls moment he clinched 'comfortable' victory over Carlos Alcaraz

Cameron Norrie caused the biggest surprise of the 2025 Paris Masters by upsetting the world number one Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. After the match he reacted to his incredible triumph in his press conference, stating that he 'felt comfortable' throughout proceedings against the world number one.

"Yeah, it was a really special victory for me," Norrie said. "I had to keep pushing him and keep playing my game. I was able to take the tennis to the way I like to play it — playing long points. The intensity was so high right from the beginning, but I felt comfortable with that. I managed to stay calm in the third set, and I thought I was the better player there. It was nice to capitalise on that break point, stay tough in that 4–3 game, and stay calm to serve it out."

Normally when competing against a player with the calibre of Alcaraz, you are going to feel under the cosh a lot of the time, coming out second-best in a lot of scenarios whilst struggling to keep up with the pace of the tie. That was not the case for Norrie, who stuck with the Spaniard for much of the match.

"Actually, I thought I played a really good first set — there was nothing in it," the Brit said. "He took his chance and I didn’t take mine. I wanted to keep pushing, and I think his level dropped in one game. That was the difference in the second set. I stayed at my level and he dropped ever so slightly. He missed one easy volley on the break point in that set, and I served really well to stop him having any chances. I was really pleased with that. It’s such a special win — to beat probably the most confident player in the world right now."

This is the third time Norrie has got one over the six-time Grand Slam champion, first defeating him in the 2022 Cincinnati Open before replicating the result in the Rio Open a year later. When asked for his secret, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist brushed off any.

"There’s no secret. To beat him, I have to play really well for over two hours — or more," he said. "I had to keep pushing, keep the intensity high, and play every game. I didn’t want to take one point off or let him breathe at all today. I had to stay calm and not be afraid to win. That was important. I told myself before the match that even if I got in a winning scenario, I wouldn’t be afraid to win. I stayed true to that — stayed calm and relaxed."

The last time they faced off was in the quarter-final stages at Wimbledon, with Norrie pinpointing the differences. "Yeah, I think I had a little bit of an advantage having played a match yesterday on these courts. He didn’t play last week, and I played really well yesterday, so I had that momentum," Norrie said. "It was his first match here, and maybe if you ask him, he was a bit surprised by the level I brought today — and the intensity we both brought. It was a special match. Obviously, he’s a Wimbledon quarterfinalist, super confident and relaxed. He’s played way more quarterfinals than me, so it was a completely different situation. I had to play my best tennis, and I don’t think he played his best. But that’s what makes tennis so special."

Norrie has come back into form after a sharp decline from the dizzying heights he once achieved. Now back into the top 30, he knew that he had a chance of glory. "I didn’t think there was a big chance, but I knew there was a chance," he said. "I’d been playing well and felt I had momentum. I took Stockholm off to rest after the China trip — I was tired mentally. I went home, went swimming, went to the beach, went hiking, just relaxed. I felt really good in Vienna and played well there. Everything’s been simple lately — just playing tennis and enjoying it with my team. They’ve been super helpful. No drama, just enjoying the matches.

"So yeah, I knew I had a chance because I’d been doing all the right things. I was mentally ready to approach the match the right way, but obviously I knew I had to play well. In the first set I had a couple of chances — I overplayed a bit on one, can’t remember the second — but he took his chance. It was a nice first set; I was in the match and felt comfortable. I didn’t need to do more or less — I just held the intensity, and he dropped slightly, and I capitalised."

Two match points were needed to get over the line against Alcaraz, with the former British number one first thinking that he had messed up. "Honestly, I thought it was going to go over. There were so many balls today that caught the back of the line for me, or he missed by nothing," Norrie said. "It was one of those days where almost everything went for me. There were a couple of forehands I shanked, a few lucky ones, some really good shots that went my way. I thought that one was good enough — I hit my backhand pretty low over the net, so I’m used to catching the tape a lot. It was fine; I just moved on to the next point.

"I actually remembered playing him in Rio — I was 40–30 for the match, went for the tee, and hit the spot again. He missed the return. It was a nice moment."

The Paris Masters is in a new home for 2025, being hosted at La Defense Arena, the largest indoor sports venue in Europe. It has got high praise from many of the players, with Norrie no exception. "For the players, it feels like there’s a lot more space — the practice courts and player areas are great. They’ve done a really good job," he said. "It’s a special venue, but I think Bercy will be missed; it’s the best indoor tennis court in the world, unreal for the fans. It’s a shame to lose that one."

He went to talk about the local citizen's love for tennis. "But it just shows how much people in France love their tennis. The stadium was almost full tonight, and I really felt the energy — it was great to have that behind me. I had a lot of friends in the crowd too. It’s easy to get to with public transport, so that’s nice for everyone. For us players, maybe not many restaurant options nearby, but it’s easy to get into central Paris and enjoy the city, so I’m not too worried. They’ve done a really good job overall — it has a similar vibe to Bercy with a bit more space. The ATP and the French Federation have done really well."