Cameron Norrie, Britain’s last hope for singles victory at Wimbledon, stated that he is enjoying the tournament despite the increasing attention and pressure on the nation’s new number one tennis player.
During his eight-month reign as British number one, Norrie has remained largely unnoticed, but that will change at Wimbledon, where he will be thrust into the limelight if he advances to the semifinals.
The 26-year-old defeated Tommy Paul in straight sets on Sunday to advance to his first grand slam quarterfinal, where he will face veteran David Goffin of Belgium on Tuesday.
If Norrie wins, he will join Andy Murray, Tim Henman, and Roger Taylor as the only British men in the Open Era to reach the men’s singles semi-finals at the All England Club.
Norrie is not accustomed to the level of attention he is currently receiving, but he claims that everything is “very normal” and that he is enjoying his time in the tournament.
“It’s Wimbledon, so there’s always going to be a lot of pressure and a lot of people watching what you’re doing and how you play,” he said.
“Many media obligations, which is normal, but it’s all part of it, and I’m enjoying Wimbledon so far, as I always do.
“Thus far, it’s been great, I’m playing as well as I can on grass, and I’ve managed to remain relatively patient throughout the grass season.
“Queen’s and Eastbourne didn’t go as planned, so it’s great that I’ve been able to participate in the biggest tournament of the year.”
As the ninth seed and a consistent winner of titles on the ATP Tour over the past two seasons, including at Indian Wells in October – one of the largest events outside of the grand slams – Norrie is favored to advance.
It is a combination of his unassuming nature, the attention given to players like Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray, and the fact that he had never previously advanced past the third round of a grand slam.
Norrie’s tennis is also solid rather than spectacular, but he compensates for his lack of a powerful weapon with an exemplary demeanor and a nearly superhuman capacity for hard work.
And he appears unfazed by the attention and has called for even more support in his match against Goffin, even joking that one day Murray Mount could be renamed “Norrie Knoll”.
When asked about the concept of “Norrie Knoll,” he responded, “That’s an intriguing one I’ve never heard before.”
He added, “It’s not as clean and doesn’t roll off the tongue as the others, but I suppose it could be a thing”.
