Cameron Norrie has slumped badly this year but as Wimbledon approaches the former British No 1 insists he will be a 'tough draw for anyone'

Two years ago, Cameron Norrie was the name on the nation’s lips. The Brit’s remarkable run to the Wimbledon semi-final captivated the country, with chants of ‘Norrie, Norrie, Norrie, oi, oi, oi’ becoming the Centre Court soundtrack, and Henman Hill being briefly renamed Norrie Knoll.

‘It was a lot of fun,’ reflects the 28-year-old, who even took the first set off the great Novak Djokovic in their last-four showdown. ‘I loved the energy, everyone was pumped, there was an amazing buzz.’

The buzz around Norrie this summer, however, is non-existent. His form has slumped to such an extent that the one-time world No8 has dropped to No39 in the rankings and he will now not be seeded for Wimbledon barring an unprecedented spate of withdrawals.

Norrie has also just been displaced as British No1 by Jack Draper after losing in the first round at the French Open, the second round in Nottingham and the first round at Queen’s.

He has won only 15 matches this year and lost 13, a set of results he puts down to trying to adapt his game to be able to beat with the game’s elite. Having become known as a baseline grinder, he has attempted to adopt a more attacking approach this season, charging to the net more often, but it has come at a cost.

‘I have been trying to mix up the way I am playing this year, so it is very uncomfortable for me and I am taking a lot of losses because of it,’ admits Norrie. ‘I am not being mentally as clear or as confident as I was in the past. Making sure you are playing on instinct and not thinking too much is key.

‘It’s good to be improving my game but I want to be making sure I am getting some results as well. I am looking forward to when it’s going to happen.’

The hope is that it happens as soon as Wimbledon. Norrie lost in the second round last year to an inspired Christopher Eubanks. But it is breakthrough run in 2022 that will be in his thoughts when he cycles to the All England Club from the house he is renting in Southfields.

‘I want to do that again,’ says Norrie, who was born in South Africa to a Scottish father and Welsh mother and raised in New Zealand. ‘That just made me hungrier to get more moments like that and have another deep run in a Slam, which I haven’t done since then.

‘I’ve always had a good feeling playing at Wimbledon. It’s my favourite tournament of the year. I would love to be there with the expectations to do well and be high seeded and ready to do some damage.

‘But I know I am a good player on the grass and I don’t think anyone wants to play against me at Wimbledon. That will be a tough draw for anyone. I am looking forward to playing freely and taking it to the top guys in the world.’

As motivation ahead of Wimbledon, Norrie has been listening to two audiobooks by Tim Grover, the former fitness trainer of basketball greats Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Their titles, Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness and Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable, tell you all you need to know about Norrie’s psyche.

He is also currently reading the autobiography of England rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson, whose pursuit of perfection resonates with Norrie.

‘There is a lot to take from it, like his determination to get better with the reps,’ he says. ‘He is a bit of a perfectionist. He is hard on himself on everything.

‘I couldn’t believe how nervous he got for the games and if the game doesn’t go perfectly, he wouldn’t be happy. I like the mentality and the way he thinks about the game and the details.’

There is, though, a national icon from his own sport that Norrie has turned to for advice more than anyone – Andy Murray, who is in a race to be fit to feature at SW19 for a final time next week.

Norrie tells Mail Sport a tale of the first time he played the two-time Wimbledon champion, losing 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 to him in the last 16 of the China Open in 2019.

‘After the match, he sat down with my coach and really just pulled apart my game,’ he recalls. ‘He even then spent the evening talking to my coach about what I could improve on.

‘I have always learnt a lot from him. When I was back in New Zealand, me and my dad would watch him and always support him. He was one of my favourite players and I have always looked up to him.

‘He has always had a lot of time for me which I have been very lucky to have and am very grateful for. I am able to call him and ask him what he thinks about a certain situation, or when I am practising with him, I will ask questions about tactics.

‘His mentality is going to be unreal for whatever he does moving forwards. I know how much he loves tennis so I could see him coaching and giving back to the sport.’

Norrie speaks just as fondly about the country’s new top player Draper, who won his maiden ATP Tour title last week in Stuttgart and beat Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s this week.

‘I am so pumped for him,’ says Norrie, who had been British No1 since October 2021. ‘He is a great player, a good friend of mine. I have been practising with him for the last four or five years. He deserves it.

‘But for me, it was not a big deal to be British No1. I was always trying to get to the top of the game and now I am trying to get back inside the top 10. If Jack is still in front of me in that, then that’s too good.’

Norrie’s continuous strive to improve his game affords little time to unwind. Even when he does switch off from tennis, there is a competitive edge to the games of backgammon or cards he plays with his team on tour. His other off-court activity of choice, though, is a solo endeavour.

‘I started the Rubik’s Cube the year that I did well at Wimbledon,’ reveals Norrie. ‘I went off it for a while but I have just started doing it again in the last couple of weeks.

‘I have got a new one called the Megaminx. There are 12 different sides to it. I have nailed it but now I am trying to bring my time down.’

Having completed one puzzle, Norrie must now solve the riddle that is his faltering form.

*Cameron Norrie is an ambassador for Lexus and drives the RZ battery electric SUV*