Cameron Norrie rediscovers his love for tennis but Novak Djokovic awaits

It was not until the Miami Open three months ago that Cameron Norrie truly understood that his entire approach to his career needed to change. Although the 29-year-old had once established himself as one of the best players in the world, reaching world No 8, his results and ranking were in freefall. Already out of the top 80 for the first time in six years, he was brushed aside in straight sets in the first round by the unheralded Bu Yunchaokete.

Despite how hard he tried, Norrie could not pin down the root of his struggles. On and off the court, he continued to work tirelessly and he felt he was striking the ball better than he ever had. Still, he kept on losing.

Late last summer, the Briton sustained the first significant injury in his career, a torn biceps that forced him to withdraw from the Olympic Games and the US Open, sucking away all remaining confidence. His struggles, however, had preceded that three-month layoff. The sheer physical and mental effort it took to reach the top of the game and maintain his spot there had left its mark. As he began to lose, frustration and doubt only pushed him further down.

After returning home, Norrie held a formal meeting with his team and they came to the conclusion that his ambition was consuming him. He resolved to focus solely on having a good time on court. “I started playing tennis to enjoy it,” Norrie said. “I want to keep enjoying it and I love to compete. Everyone knows I’m a very competitive guy, so I want to play point for point, keep things simple. It doesn’t matter the expectations. If I’m practising, well, great. If I’m not, no worries and we’re just looking for positives. I know I’m a good player. So I want to keep pushing and keep progressing, regardless of if I’m practising well or feeling good or not feeling good.”

View image in fullscreen Cameron Norrie plays a backhand return during his win against his British compatriot Jacob Fearnley. Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images

As he has pieced together a brilliant run to the fourth round of the French Open for the first time, Norrie’s joy has been one of his most important qualities. It was evident in his spectacular five-set first-round upset win against the former No 1 Daniil Medvedev, whose game had presented a horrible match-up for Norrie and who led their head-to-head 4-0. Norrie started incredibly well but the match rapidly shifted and he found himself down a break in the fifth set. He remained clear-headed and positive until the end as he found an unlikely path to victory.

Backing up any significant upset is incredibly difficult, particularly when it occurs at such an early stage in the tournament, but Norrie has only gained confidence from his first-round win and he moved through his subsequent matches without dropping a set. In his third-round match against his compatriot Jacob Fearnley, Norrie maintained his focus despite loud fireworks frequently exploding on a nearby road as Paris Saint-Germain fans began to congregate for the Champions League final.

A consequence of Norrie’s decision to approach his tennis with joy and positivity is a fourth-round meeting with Novak Djokovic on Monday. At the height of Norrie’s powers, he battled Djokovic in the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2022. He will again attempt to secure what would be the best win of his career.

“I’m going to have to suffer,” Norrie said. “I’m going to have to run four and a half hours to have a chance with him, and to push him where he’s uncomfortable as well. I’m going to have to play with quality, otherwise I have no chance.”

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View image in fullscreen Novak Djokovic lies in wait for Cameron Norrie in the fourth round in Paris. The Serb beat him in their Wimbledon semi-final in 2022. Photograph: Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Monday marks another historic day for British tennis with two British men in the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in the open era. Jack Draper will look to continue his incredible form as the fifth seed faces Alexander Bublik for a spot in his first French Open quarter-final.

“Jack for me is insane,” Bublik said on the eve of the match. “I saw him first day here. I’m like: ‘Are you getting ready for UFC?’ Last year the guy is 40 in the world. This year he is top four, top five in the world. That’s a crazy achievement. He doesn’t seem to stop.”

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