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The British tennis star secured the biggest win of his career by coming back from a set down to overcome world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in three hard-fought sets in the second round of the prestigious indoor tournament.

Even though he had before beaten Alcaraz on two occasions, this victory represents Norrie's first ever win over a sitting world No 1.

"Enormous. Incredibly significant for me," stated Norrie, who becomes the fifth English competitor in history to defeat a global number one. "Returning from injury last year, I fell in the initial match of qualifying rounds here. I just tried to appreciate my game in the latter part of the year. To achieve a win like this, it's the biggest win of my career, my maiden triumph over the world No 1 and likely the most in-form player in the world right now."

Norrie, ranked 31st globally, also ended Alcaraz's impressive run of nine straight final appearances and 17 straight premier event victories, which represented the best series of results in the young champion's young career.

Contest Overview

Alcaraz looked to be moving confidently to success in the beginning as he cruised through the first set. Yet, the British contender steadily fought his way into contention by executing with improved accuracy and dragging the Spanish opponent into prolonged, demanding exchanges. His relentless shot tolerance and consistency steadily made an impact.

Through most of the battle, the world number one delivered strong serves but he had difficulty to get his timing right off his groundstrokes. The 22-year-old looked notably struggling hitting his forehand, which has been the top weapon in the world for most of this season, committing 29 mistakes off the forehand side and a overall of 54 unforced errors. Opposing him, the British player gave his opponent minimal unforced errors, keeping up his consistency, physicality and penetration throughout while delivering effective serves and selecting opportunities to move inside the baseline and play aggressively.

Final Moments

In the tight last moments, the British competitor expertly kept his nerve to overcome the best player in the world.

Professional Journey

Following dealing for months due to a significant arm issue and difficulties with his performance, the tennis professional fell as low as 91st globally this season. Having reached the quarter-finals at the grass-court major and the clay-court Grand Slam second week after that, this victory further underlines the experienced player's development as he attempts to come back to the world's top twenty and further. Alcaraz, notwithstanding his incredible achievements, is still hasn't figure out how to produce his best tennis indoors.