Beaten in Paris, Alcaraz joins Federer and Sampras… but not for the right reason

Carlos Alcaraz, beaten in his opening match at the Paris Masters, has unwittingly joined Pete Sampras and Roger Federer in an exclusive club.

The center court at La Défense Arena experienced an earthquake. In 2 hours and 22 minutes, the world number 1 crumbled against Norrie (4-6, 6-3, 6-4), piling up unforced errors (54) and casting lost looks towards his team.

But while this defeat halts the impressive momentum the Spaniard had built since March, it also allows him to join two other legends of the sport.

Indeed, since the establishment of the Masters 1000 in 1990, only two number 1 seeds have suffered a similar misfortune in Paris: Pete Sampras in 1996 and Roger Federer in 2009.

For the record, Federer, in 2009, exited Bercy in his opening match against Julien Benneteau (3-6, 7-6, 6-4) and Sampras, in 1996, suffered the same fate against Marc Rosset (6-4, 6-4).