🔗 Share this article

The British tennis star achieved the biggest victory of his professional journey by coming back from a lost first set to defeat world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in three hard-fought sets in the early stage of the prestigious indoor tournament.

Even though he had before beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this victory marks Norrie's first ever win over a reigning world top-ranked player.

"Enormous. So big for me," stated Norrie, who joins as the latest British man in history to beat a world No 1. "Bouncing back from a physical setback last year, I lost in the opening stage of qualifying rounds here. I just tried to appreciate my performance in the latter part of the year. To achieve a victory like this, it's the greatest victory of my tennis journey, my first win over the top player and arguably the strongest competitor in the world right now."

The British player, seeded No 31, also ended Alcaraz's supreme sequence of nine finals in a row and 17 successive premier event wins, which was the top run of outcomes in the young champion's young career.

Contest Overview

The top seed appeared to be advancing smoothly to success early on as he sailed through the opening set. Yet, Norrie gradually worked himself into contention by serving with sharper placement and pulling the Spanish opponent into extended, physical rallies. His persistent steadiness and consistency gradually left its mark.

Through most of the battle, the world number one performed well on serve but he struggled badly to locate his rhythm off his groundstrokes. The young star seemed notably uneasy executing his signature shot, which has been the most effective stroke in the sport for most of this year, haemorrhaging 29 forehand miscues and a overall of 54 errors. Opposing him, Norrie gave Alcaraz very few errors, maintaining his steadiness, fitness and penetration throughout while serving efficiently and picking his spots to advance inside the baseline and strike effectively.

Closing Moments

In the tight closing stages, the British competitor expertly kept his nerve to defeat the world's finest in the game.

Personal Journey

Following struggling for an extended period due to a serious physical setback and difficulties with his game, Norrie fell as low as 91st globally this year. Having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the Roland Garros round of 16 subsequently, this victory highlights the experienced player's progress as he seeks to make his way to the world's top twenty and even higher. The Spanish sensation, in spite of his extraordinary accomplishments, is still hasn't figure out how to display his best tennis in indoor conditions.