Wimbledon spotlight falls on Cameron Norrie as he seeks semi-finals bid
Cameron Norrie has stayed under the radar during his eight-month reign as British number one but that is changing at Wimbledon and he will find himself in the full glare of the spotlight if he can reach the semi-finals.
The 26-year-old beat Tommy Paul in straight sets to make his first grand slam quarter-final, where he will take on experienced Belgian David Goffin on Tuesday.
Should Norrie win, he will join Andy Murray, Tim Henman and Roger Taylor as the only British men to reach the semi-finals of the men’s singles at the All England Club in the Open Era.
His low-key profile is a combination of his understated nature, the attention given to the likes of Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray and the fact he had not had a deep run at a slam, having never previously made it past the third round.Norrie had an international upbringing living in four different countries by his early 20s.
He was born in Johannesburg to Welsh and Scottish parents, before moving to New Zealand when he was three.
While in New Zealand he became the junior world No.10 in tennis and competed in several tournaments and toured Europe when he was 15.
When he was 16 he moved to the UK and began representing Britain instead of New Zealand, partly because of funding reasons.
He lived there for three years while his parents stayed in Auckland before he moved to Texas for university.
While studying sociology at Texas Christian University he became the top-ranked male college tennis player.
In the 2016–17 season, Norrie was the only player to win every Big 12 (a major US college sports tournament) match he participated in, with a 10–0 record in singles and doubles.He paused his studies in 2017 when he was 20 to turn pro during the grass-court ATP tour.
He then resettled back in London where he has trained ever since.
When asked how British he felt at a press conference recently, Norrie said: “It’s pretty interesting, my background obviously from various places.
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“But I’m living here, basing here – I feel good coming back here, practicing with the younger Brits."
When asked about being a figurehead for the British game, he said: “I’m feeling comfortable doing that, and really enjoying playing at this level, first of all.
“If I can help any of the younger guys, there’s a big group of guys coming through with a lot of talent, a lot of chances to make it inside the top 100. I can be that guy to lead them on and to show they can do it.
“I went to college, I can show them a good path, if you can stay professional and make good decisions. I managed to make the quarters of a slam doing that. I was really pleased with myself.”