"I am more well-known in the UK, But for me, that is not the goal: it’s to be World No. 1" - Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie may be Great Britain's No. 1 player, but he is not one to rest on his laurels – he plans to be the best in the world.

The Brit has had a notable past two seasons, which saw him rise from No. 74 at the start of 2021 to as high as No. 8 last September.

While this feat has made him popular in the UK, the goal is to go beyond that, Norrie told The National.

“There are a lot more eyes on me now: going into Wimbledon as British No. 1 then having the run I did, I feel like I am more well known in the UK. But for me, that is not the goal: it’s to be World No. 1," Cameron Norrie said.

The road, though, will not be easy, admitted the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist. For his dream to come to fruition, the 14th-ranked Norrie would have to shove past 13 more players along his path. The list includes long-time No. 1s Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, as well as current top player Carlos Alcaraz.

"There are still 13 players better than me so I need to improve," said Cameron Norrie.

Improvement does not seem to be a problem for the dedicated Norrie, who devoted his time during the tour's COVID shut down in 2020 to work on his fitness. The 27-year-old tennis ace, who was born in South Africa to British parents, traveled to New Zealand, the country he grew up in. There, he ran 10 kilometers each day for two months, knowing that this is where his edge lies.

"I’m not a guy who’s going to go out and blast you off the court, I'm going to slowly work my opponent down point by point," said Cameron Norrie.

This certainly reaped rewards for the Brit as he has collected all four of his career titles in the past two years.

In 2021, he bagged his maiden trophy in Los Cabos and then followed it up with a Masters 1000 win at Indian Wells. He climbed 62 spots higher to No. 12 at the end of the year.

Proving his rise was no fluke, he continued his winning ways this season, collecting two more trophies in Delray Beach and Lyon. 2022 also marked the year he reached his first Grand Slam semifinal. There, he took the opening set before faltering against his foe and eventual champion Djokovic.

Cameron Norrie to join World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and others at Abu Dhabi exhibition event

Cameron Norrie (left) shakes the hand of winner Novak Djokovic (right) at the end of their semifinal match at Wimbledon last July.

Cameron Norrie could put his plan of overtaking World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz to the test when he joins four top-10 players at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

To be played between December 16-18, the tennis exhibition will feature Norrie, Alcaraz, World No. 3 Casper Ruud, fourth-ranked Tsitsipas, and No. 8 Andrey Rublev. World No. 19 Frances Tiafoe will also participate.

"I don’t think I've played my best in Australia, so I wanted to try something different and I was fortunate to get the call up to this event," Cameron Norrie told the National.

“To play these important matches before even more important matches in Australia will help for my goals and my expectations so it’s cool to be involved in this tournament," he added.