Alcaraz suffers shock exit at Paris Masters

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock early exit from the Paris Masters, falling 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to unseeded Briton Cameron Norrie in the second round on Tuesday. The defeat marked Alcaraz’s first loss to Norrie on indoor courts and ended his 17-match winning streak in Masters events.

Alcaraz, a six-time Grand Slam champion and one of tennis’s most dominant forces this season, looked out of rhythm from the start. His performance was riddled with 54 unforced errors, and he managed to win only 64 percent of his first-serve points. The Spaniard, who had been in fine form in recent weeks, admitted afterward that he never found his groove.

“I’m really disappointed about my level,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t feel well today. A lot of mistakes. Even in the first set, I felt I could do much more.”

The 22-year-old even had an animated exchange with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after dropping the second set, as frustration mounted. Norrie, meanwhile, stayed composed and seized his chance, closing the match with a big first serve that Alcaraz sent long. It was Norrie’s first career win over a world No. 1.

“I have to give credit to Cam,” Alcaraz added. “He didn’t let me stay or come back into the match.”

The loss also opens the door for second-ranked Jannik Sinner to claim the top spot in the ATP rankings if he wins the tournament. The Italian begins his campaign against Zizou Bergs on Wednesday.

Norrie will next face the winner of the all-French second-round clash between cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech. Vacherot had earlier stunned 14th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 6-3 to advance.

In other matches, fifth seed Ben Shelton defeated Flavio Cobolli 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach the third round and set up a clash with Andrey Rublev. Ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and 11th seed Daniil Medvedev also advanced.

This year’s Paris Masters is being held for the first time at La Défense Arena, moving from its traditional venue at Bercy. The new setting has drawn praise from players, including Sinner, who called it “much more comfortable, with great facilities and bigger courts.”