Beating the World No. 1 at Bercy: A Feat Often Without Follow-Up

Clément Gehl

le 30/10/2025 à 12h11

1 min to read

Benneteau Cilic Davydenko Ferrer Norrie Paris Rune

Cameron Norrie had opened up the draw of the Rolex Paris Masters by defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to capitalize on this opportunity, losing in the very next round to Valentin Vacherot.

As highlighted by the X account Jeu, Set et Maths, the future of the player who beats the world No. 1 in Paris is not always bright.

Since 2008, 6 players have defeated the world No. 1, and 5 of them were eliminated in the very next round. This was the case for Nikolay Davydenko in 2008, Julien Benneteau in 2009, David Ferrer in 2013, Marin Cilic in 2016, and Cameron Norrie in 2025.

Only Holger Rune, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals in 2022, went on to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals before defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.