Cameron Norrie: British tennis success story sneaking under the radar

Cameron Norrie is a rising star whose story is going under the radar. The 26-year-old had his breakout last season, rising from World No. 74 to World No.12 on Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings to take the place of Dan Evans as British No. 1. He has been seeded ninth at the 2022 Wimbledon.

Cameron Norrie was born to a Welsh mother and a Scottish father in Johannesburg, South Africa. His family moved to New Zealand, and Norrie lived in the city of Auckland until the age of 16. He then moved to England by himself before being awarded a tennis grant at the Texan college, where he immediately became the highest-ranked male school player. 

Cameron Norrie made it to the 2021 ATP Finals after Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew due to an elbow injury, allowing the Brit to break into the top 10 in April 2021. He ventured into the spotlight as the unexpected victor of his maiden Masters 1000 title at the 2021 Indian Wells. The 26-year-old fired excellent ground strokes and utilized heavier balls in dry air to defeat Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, becoming the first British man to win in the California desert. 

In the ongoing season, Cameron Norrie won two titles. First at Delray Beachwon and then defeated Alex Molcan to win the trophy in Lyon. He made it to the finals at the Mexican Open after winning the semifinal clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in straight sets but eventually fell to Spanish legend Rafael Nadal.

He commented, “It was a great two or three weeks, and I’m so content with how I treated every one of the events, every one of the defining moments, all the matches.

His coach, Facundo Lugones, is one of the crucial people behind the success of Cameron Norrie. Lugones has been a mentor to Norrie since the early days of him going pro and has been a close friend along with being an expert. 

Cameron Norrie talked about Facundo Lugones after winning his first title in Mexico. He said, “He truly gets the best out of me. It is good to have somebody who realizes you are well off the court. I can let him know anything. I think it is significant you can have somebody you can talk transparently with about how you are feeling.

The confidence and consistency of Cameron Norrie are the crucial components of his game and make him a strong contender for this year’s title at Wimbledon. He will begin his title bid against Pablo Andújar in the first round of the Wimbledon.