It is an inescapable fact that the native‑born content of British tennis at the highest level has been diluted over the years – the sort of anomaly to agitate Brexiters, perhaps, but happily irrelevant across the modern sporting landscape.
Cameron Norrie – born in Johannesburg 22 years ago of Scottish parents, raised in New Zealand and adopted by the UK, where he has a home in London – nailed his colours to the Great Britain Davis Cup mast with an awesome debut in February, and he might inspire more pride and headlines in his third slam appearance here on Monday. “No one really knew who I was before that,” Norrie said on Sunday. “I hadn’t done anything on clay. Profile‑wise, it was great for me to get out there.”
Coming off an excellent win against the world No 10 John Isner in Lyon last week to reach his first ATP semi‑final he plays the experienced and improving German Peter Gojowczyk, providing company, at least, for the British No 1, Kyle Edmund, who plays on Tuesday against Alex de Minaur. Alongside Johanna Konta and Heather Watson in the women’s draw, this constitutes one of the tiniest British contingents to invade France since the Scarlet Pimpernel and friends went underground to rescue aristocratic halfwits from the guillotine. If Norrie makes the cut in the first round, he will not be as surprised as some who are yet to catch up on his story; he gives every indication of becoming a valuable and interesting addition to the narrative, quietly confident and scared of no one.
The most striking aspect of his imminent rise to 85 in the world has been his near-effortless embrace of clay: he had not played a Tour‑level match on the stuff until February, when he came from two sets down to stun the seasoned clay-courter Roberto Bautista Agut on the first day of the Davis Cup tie in Spain. The former captain John Lloyd called it “one of the most impressive debuts of all time”.
If Norrie’s progress gathers pace this week, he will have so much of the stuff on his shoes he might wish he had never taken to it. “My coach [Facundo Lugones] is Argentinian,” Norrie says in an accent so neutral it might be computerised, “so I think that helps a little bit. Having the exposure at Davis Cup and getting to play against some of the best players in the world, the Spaniards, that helped.
“My first time on clay was in juniors. Then I played a little on the futures circuit in the UK, like Bournemouth and Newcastle. Other than that, I never really played at all on clay and in college [in the US] I didn’t either.
“I’ve gone in with quite low expectations and just tried to tactically use my forehand. I managed to practise a little bit with Kyle [Edmund] before this clay season. He is one of the best players in the world on clay. He’s helped me a lot. I’m pretty good endurance-wise. On clay the points are longer and it’s more physical. My game suits it well and I can only keep improving.”
Stamina more than likely is in his genes. During his second slam appearance at the US Open last year – where he beat the tough Russian Dmitry Tursunov and gave the world No 19 Pablo Carreño Busta something to think about in three sets – his father, David, was cycling the route of the Tour de France. His mother, Helen, has run a 3hr 03min marathon, and her father was also a decent runner.
Gojowczyk, who reached the final in Geneva on Saturday and has won more than he’s lost this year, could be in for a tough time on Monday.
