Alcaraz hails 'great achievement' at finishing youngest ever world number one

Carlos Alcaraz said ending the year as the youngest ever tennis world number one was "an amazing achievement" and a reward for his hard work.

The Spaniard will be 19 years, 214 days on 5 December, the 2022 year-end ranking date when he will take the mantle of youngest  from Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20 years, 275 days in 2001.

Alcaraz was assured of ending as number one on Tuesday when Casper Ruud overcame Taylor Fritz, which ensured Rafael Nadal could not reach the last four  at the ATP Finals in Turin. The older Spaniard needed to win the tournament to finish the season number one.

Alcaraz started the year at 32 in the world and made the biggest rise to finish top in 50 years of the rankings. He was unable to play in Turin due to an abdominal injury.

He becomes the first player outside of the Big Four of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal to top the final rankings since Andy Roddick in 2003.

"It means a lot to me. I mean, to get this trophy, the world No. 1, to be part of tennis history along with a lot of legends, for me is an amazing feeling," Alcaraz told a press conference on Wednesday.

"It's an amazing achievement. I mean, all the hard work pays off.

"Yeah, for me it's incredible to lift this trophy today."

Ending the year as the youngest ever number one is just the latest landmark for the modest, muscular star from the small Murcian town of El Palmar.

Alcaraz learned the game at a tennis school run by his father.

Alcaraz hit the giant-killing jackpot at Madrid in May when he became the only man to beat both Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court event.

When he broke into the world top five in July, he was the youngest man to do so since 2005.

His coach former world number one Juan