THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2022

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/D. Goffin

3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Cam, just give us your thoughts. You're in the semifinal.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, pretty crazy to be sitting here and in the semis. Yeah, what a good match it was today, especially towards the end, crazy atmosphere, as well.

Definitely enjoyed it, and the crowd definitely got me through it. Pretty fortunate to get through that one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. We're not sort of used to seeing you being super emotional at the end of matches. Can you try and put into words what was going through your head.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, just all the hard work and the sacrifices and everything just kind of all hit me at once. Especially the situation, you know, here at Wimbledon in front of my family, my friends, and obviously a lot of people following that match.

For me, just kind of thinking back, all the hard work, the sacrifices and everything was just, I kind of didn't really know what to say obviously. Got emotional there, and, yeah, just a crazy day and crazy match to get through, especially with the way that it started.

Yeah, that's the reason why you play the sport.

Q. Obviously we've talked about your stamina on tour a lot over the past year. In that intense moment, fifth set, how satisfying is it that it held out and you were able to back yourself, back both your body and mind to come through that long match?

CAMERON NORRIE: I was talking with my coach Facu before the match, and saying let's get to two hours in the match and then the match starts then. Yeah, I was cutting it a little bit close there.

Yeah, I think all credit to David. He came out firing, and was moving the forehand well and was really accurate with the forehand. He took a little of my energy away and a little bit of my rhythm. He was serving smart.

Yeah, I think end of the fourth, start of the fifth, I was just locked in. Yeah, I gave nothing away and managed my service games really well.

Credit to him, as well. He served really good in the fifth and didn't give me many looks.

No, I was locked in from the fourth and I was feeling better and better as the match went on. I was moving better and better as well and getting to everything.

Q. Novak next. You have only played him once before. Do you think you can beat him?

CAMERON NORRIE: For sure. I think it's obviously one of the toughest tasks in tennis. I'd say grass is his favorite surface and his record is unbelievable here at Wimbledon. It's going to be tough.

I'm going to have to improve a lot of things from today. I don't think I'm going to have the chance to lose focus like I did today. I think I was a little bit fortunate. I, a couple of times, lost a little bit of focus and managed to get it back. I think with him, there is no room for that.

Now looking forward to taking it to him and seeing the level he brings. I didn't really watch too much from him today, but he's obviously feeling pretty good after coming back from two sets to love. Yeah, it's going to be a tricky one.

Q. Some fans have been calling the hill Norrie Knoll today. How does that sound?

CAMERON NORRIE: I heard that as well. I don't even know what a knoll is (laughter). I would say it doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Henman Hill. But, yeah, I don't even know what a knoll is.

Q. You'll take it?

CAMERON NORRIE: I'll take it.

Q. You spoke earlier about the crowd. Just wonder if you can talk about how you kind of used their energy, especially in the fourth and fifth set. I also wondered if you saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge swapped Centre Court for your court. Did you notice that at all during the match?

CAMERON NORRIE: I didn't notice that during the match but I saw them at the end there. So that's obviously very special to be playing in front of them, and obviously they had more interest in my match, which is pretty cool.

Yeah, I think I wasn't -- I think David did a good job of kind of hushing the crowd, you know, that he was playing at such a high level and was really giving me nothing. Yeah, I think at the end of the fourth there, that 4-3 game I really got the crowd involved, and from then on, they were behind me every point. I think it frustrated him a little bit.

Maybe that was the difference today. You know, especially it was only one or two points in it, I think I saw a stat where he actually won more points than me in the match. Just shows that I played the bigger points better than him. That's something I've been talking about and working a lot with my team.

It's nice to do that on the biggest match of my life so far in my career.

Q. With this win you join some illustrious company, Virginia Wade, Andy Murray, Tim Henman, all reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon. Your thoughts on that?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, super special to be among those names. To just be a semifinalist of a slam, especially this one, living just around the corner. Yeah, it's just all pretty crazy and all happened pretty quickly.

Yeah, it's pretty cool to be amongst those names.

Q. I know that you believe that you belong at this level because you have worked hard to get here and you have broken into the top 10 to prove it, but is there a wee bit of the little kid in you pinching yourself that you're in a Wimbledon semifinal against one of the greatest players to ever grace these courts?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it's very cool, especially when I made the quarterfinals the other day, I was thinking about when I was a kid and watching guys on TV making the quarterfinals and thinking, Wow, this looks so tough to do, and there's almost zero chance I'm going to do that. But just to actually be doing it and to be living it and experiencing it is very cool and pretty crazy, actually.

Yeah, and now I have gone one further in the semis, so I think can take a lot of confidence from that. Yeah, it's going to be a tough one against Novak obviously, but looking forward to the challenge. I think I'm going to take it to him.

Yeah, I think last time I played him in Turin in another big tournament, he played very good and I think I learnt a lot from that. I think I'm going to approach it a little bit differently tactically and rest up and get ready for that one.

Q. A Wimbledon final would be cool, right?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, pretty cool (smiling). I'll take that. But still, like I said, one of the tougher tasks in tennis, but I'm going to have to definitely raise my level and raise my level of focus to have a shot with him.

I think obviously I have been playing great, but I think there is a lot of things I can do better. I think it's great I get a couple days now to fine-tune a few things and improve on a lot of things and I'm going to be ready for him.

Q. When you first left college and going around the circuit, did you think you were capable of a result like this? I know you take things one match at a time, but how did you feel your limits were then?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think I was not really thinking about trying to do it as quickly as this. I just tried to give myself the best chance.

The first goal was, for me, was to break inside the top 100, and then I did that. I think once I did that, then it was top 50, then I did that, I was top 10. Just kind of ticking boxes and slowly progressing. I think it makes it more and more believable as it goes on.

I didn't think straight out of college, All right, I'm going to be in semifinals of a Grand Slam and setting crazy goals like that. I think it's great to do that but I think at the time it was pretty unrealistic. So I think I've done a good job to keeping expectations low and then fulfilling and maximizing the talent that I've got.

I think I've still got a lot of things I can improve on, which is exciting.

Q. You were just speaking about your progression through the rankings. Just want to ask, with everything you have already accomplished over these past ten days or so, and eyes on greater things in the coming days, wonder if there is even a tiny element at all of disappointment at the idea that this great run will not help your ranking at all and that there aren't any of those points offered for you?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think for me it changes nothing. You know, it doesn't take anything away from that. I've been the top 10, I'm just outside, I think I'm 11 or 12 right now. Obviously it would be nice to have those points, but for me, changes nothing.

I think it just gives me a lot of confidence that I can do it, you know, and especially with the best players in the world. You know, it would be nice but it changes nothing for me.

Q. You have ignited the nation basically tonight. It's going to be different for you now, I suspect, in terms of the general public. I heard the chants when you were doing TV interviews. They couldn't even get the interviews over because people were chanting your name. That's the first of it. How are you going to handle that? Have you thought about what it's going to be like Cameron Norrie, superstar?

CAMERON NORRIE: No, I think just enjoying it today first. Then I think, yeah, I'm playing the semifinals against Novak, it's going to be a good challenge, and I'm ready for that. I think with the success comes with a lot of things. Yeah, I'm ready for whatever the higher profile or whatever throws at me.

Yeah, I think you take that and you know if you do well, that's what it comes with.

Q. Great win today. A question earlier about what it means to join other British players that have made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon. You're the first British man to do it since Andy. Has he reached out to you at all after any of your past results? Looking forward to playing Novak, he's one of the few people to beat Novak here. Are you going to ask for any tips?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, Andy has been super supportive to me and my team. You know, I'm always practicing with him and always reaching out to him for ideas. He's super supportive with us. Even before the match today, he came over and he was in the gym and came and said, Good luck. So he's always -- obviously he loves tennis so he's following everything and all the results. I think it's pretty cool.

Yeah, I think not a bad guy to ask about some tactics. I'm going to enjoy today and maybe reach out to him and see what he's got.

Q. I saw your mum looking quite emotional as well on the screen. Could you tell us a little bit about how it makes you feel to achieve this in front of them, and also if you have spoken to your parents and share what was said to you?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think every match that I've won this week my mum has cried. It's been, regardless of which one it was. So I think, yeah, the matches are getting bigger and the moments are getting more special.

I think they're just super happy for me that I'm doing something that I love, and it's just a bonus that I'm winning. I think it was probably pretty stressful for them today.

Yeah, they came over after the match when I was on the bike and both gave me a big hug, and my sister too. Very cool to have them here watching. Obviously very rare for them to be here and watching, especially over the last couple of years.

To see me playing at the level that I have been and to get some wins and to experience moments like that is exactly why they came. I'm happy they made the trip.

Q. Congratulations on your win today. You have spoken a lot about the sacrifices you have made. What do you say are the biggest sacrifices you have made to get to this point?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think I'm always with everything, after college, I think I'm trying to go above and beyond and taking care of every detail that I can and making sure that I'm putting tennis No. 1 priority, and if there's anything that kind of comes -- there's always going to be distractions, you know.

But I think I've done a pretty good job with the team around me, putting tennis first and not really wavering and taking holidays or doing stuff that I could easily do and take a week off here and there. I've been pretty strict and everyone has been pretty on me, which is unreal, and they've held me accountable for a lot.

So I think doing that and putting tennis first has been I think, for me, compared to other players, from what I see, I think I do that better, and I've been able to take care of the details and go the extra distance to make sure that I'm as prepared as I can be.

Q. Are there any examples of distractions you might try and actively avoid? You mentioned holidays. When was the last time you took one?

CAMERON NORRIE: Not for a while. But there is always going to be distractions, anything on the day, with everything. I think, yeah, I'm going to finish this tournament and maybe I feel like I could maybe deserve a holiday (smiling).

No, I'm going to focus on the rest of the tournament. Still a long way to go.