Paris Shock: Carlos Alcaraz stunned by Norrie in three-set battle as No. 1 ranking hangs in the balance

The world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz suffered an early defeat at the Paris Masters, eliminated in his debut by the Brit Cameron Norrie (No. 31) with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The Spaniard took a one-set lead, but couldn't maintain the rhythm, and the left-hander ended up securing his first victory against a reigning World No. 1.

The 6-time Grand Slam champion expressed his displeasure with the court conditions at the Paris Masters, after arriving following three consecutive titles at the Cincinnati Open, US Open, and Tokyo Open. "I don't feel the ball at all, zero. I can't play here, I can't, impossible," he told his coach Ferrero during the second set. "It's like playing on clay, worse than in Monte Carlo. Only the serve is saved."

The Spaniard exits early and prepares for his next challenge at the ATP Finals in Turin in two weeks. His early defeat also opens a possibility for Jannik Sinner in the fight for the year-end World No. 1 spot – and if the Italian manages to win the title, he will temporarily reclaim the World No. 1 ranking for next week.

It was a tricky opponent for Alcaraz, who faced the first break point against him in his first service game. Norrie certainly knows how to face Alcaraz, with seven previous encounters and two wins for the British former Indian Wells champion. Both maintained their serves during the first part, and the first break came for Alcaraz in the 5th game. The World No. 1 took the lead and held onto his serve to take the set 6-4 after 52 minutes.

However, in the second set, Alcaraz began to show his annoyance with the court conditions, and was seen frustrated discussing the situation with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Norrie took advantage of his opponent's unforced errors and took the lead in the 4th game. This time it was the Brit who held onto his serve to stay ahead until 6-3 and take the set.

With Norrie notably strong on his serve, the match went to a third set, with neither player managing to gain an advantage in the first half of the set. Norrie was the one who had break opportunities, squandering three in his favor and not conceding break points to his rival until 3-3. It was then that the break came for the Brit, who began to see his chances of securing the victory clearly.

Alcaraz tried to react and had a couple of break opportunities in the following game, but couldn't convert them. Norrie managed to maintain his composure in the final moments and not let nerves affect him. Although Alcaraz fought to stay in the match, Norrie finally seized his chance and ended up taking the victory 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the second round.

Alcaraz's defeat calls into question his permanence as World No. 1 at the end of the tournament – something few would have expected. The Spaniard stands at 11,250 points in the live ranking, while Sinner follows him with 10,510. If the Italian wins the title in Paris, he will finish the tournament back at the top of the ranking – although it will be difficult to maintain it at the ATP Finals, considering the large number of points Sinner defends, and that Alcaraz barely defends any points.

On Norrie's side, he achieves his first victory against the current World No. 1 and his 12th top-10 victory. The 30-year-old player temporarily moves up to World No. 27 and will face the winner of the match between cousins Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot in the Round of 16 – a rematch of the Shanghai Masters final. The top half of the draw loses its main favorite, something that could benefit Félix Auger-Aliassime or Casper Ruud – two players who precisely need to go far this week.