It's half past two in the afternoon and Cameron Norrie (28) has already decided for the day.
He has knocked down Roberto Bautista (6-4 and 6-3), he has eaten and played cards in the RCTB players' room, and now he is keeping his weapons waiting for his rival in the quarterfinals, Tomás Etcheverry.
The atmosphere in the club breathes calmer, calmer, now that Rafael Nadal has collected himself, now that Carlos Alcaraz, backstage, is stubborn with his damn forearm.
On his way to the private area, Cameron Norrie takes a few minutes, because he has plenty of time: he stops before the creatures that demand a selfie, the autograph stamped on those huge balls like the head of a lion, he likes the British .
And later, in the private area, next to the pool (where Nadal and Alcaraz took their traditional champions' dip, what a time those were), Norrie meanders, almost naps.
He extends his hand to me and says good afternoon in Spanish, because he is somewhat slurred, something that Facundo Lugones, Argentine, his coach since 2017, has taught him.
And ask:
-Right here?
Seat. We sit.
–Tsitsipas gave the name of his favorites of the tournament. He cited himself and Ruud. “He didn't name you,” I observe.
-I think the same. I'm an underdog (in essence, not one of the great candidates). Ruud is a great player on clay, he is showing it this year, and Tsitsipas won in Monte Carlo last week. I think Tsitsipas is correct in his predictions.
In reality, Norrie is used to appearing as the underdog. His game is reliable, although his arrogance, the moments in which his tennis has taken on an irresistible shine, are few and far between. If I talk to him about Wimbledon 2022, then his face lights up.
That summer he touched the sky, that summer in which he defeated David Goffin to reach the semifinals of his country's Grand Slam (he was born in South Africa, grew up in New Zealand, studied in the United States, trained as a tennis player in London, is British citizen: his parents were squash players, “I'm a good combination,” he laughs).
“I think I cried in London,” he says.
“He cried,” I remind him.
–Well, actually, I don't remember well. The atmosphere was perfect. There were thousands of fans behind me. He had had to fight a lot and was in shock. Actually, I didn't know what to do.
–He had bad luck: Djokovic was waiting for him in the semifinal...
–At this point in a Grand Slam, you will never have good luck...
–You won the first set (they finished 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 and 6-4).
–I didn't think about it much. She was just trying to play. Let's see: he was in Center Court, before Djokovic. For me, not being the favorite was a blessing. He was the one who had to grow, and also in front of an audience that did not go with him. I had nothing to lose. I served well in that set, but then he came into the match and I missed a couple of balls and everything quickly got complicated.
–Was coinciding with the Big Four lucky or unfortunate?
-Lucky. All four of them were extraordinarily talented. Every time I played against Nadal, and I did it five times, I improved. He made me raise the level. And my next rival suffered from it: I felt that he could do anything when faced with his blows.
–Now, you are 28 years old. And it is Top 30 (31st racket). At what point in your career are you?
–I'm not super super young anymore, but I have a lot of experience. I think I'm at a good age. For me, nothing that happens to me comes to me for the first time. If I look back, I see a good balance. I feel free to play well without affecting my future. It is interesting to be in this situation, notice that many young players are coming and Djokovic is still there, even Nadal is returning.
–Where is tennis going? How has it changed while you remain in the elite?
–I feel that the physique of the players has changed. I am referring to those who move between the Top 50 and the Top 150.
–What do you mean?
–At these levels the speed of the ball has changed, it is getting faster and faster. And many of them have regained faith: they see how other greats fail and sense their options. Look, for example, at Rublev. He was the second favorite but crashed out to Nakashima in his debut. A few years ago it wasn't like that. When Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray dominated everything, the greatest ones did not make those setbacks. Now, the Top 100 sense the vulnerabilities of the stars, and that makes them believe it.
–Where would you put the big jump in quality in the ranking: reaching the Top 100, the Top 50, the Top 20...?
–It's not so much a jump: if you look at how they hit the ball, you won't see big differences between them. I think it is in the mentality, in the ability to play the big shots in decisive moments. Higher ranked tennis players tend to be calmer there. And the difference between the Top 100 and the Top 20 is in the rest. The best ones prevent the person who is serving from collecting free points: they neutralize his serve and do not give him anything.
–What do you need to win a Grand Slam?
–I think having it all. Subtract better, the whole package. And the mentality. I haven't been able to stay up for seven games, two weeks.
–Are there differences between that Norrie of 2022 and this one?
–I am sharper at the net, I return better and the quality of my ball with my forehand is also better. But I remain indebted to the great moments.
