Cameron Norrie, despite identifying as “100 percent British,” boasts a richly international upbringing. Having spent his formative years across three continents – South Africa (his birthplace), New Zealand, and the UK – he possesses a unique perspective. Though his early memories of South Africa might be faint, the experience left an undeniable mark. It was a life-changing event, ultimately leading his family to leave their South African home in the late 1990s.

Home invasions, aka “Home Robberies”, are a common occurrence in South Africa. Sadly, according to last year’s reports, there has been a 4% increase in crime as compared to 2022. Unfortunately, Norrie and his family also had to go through a similar scenario in his childhood. At only three years old, he became the victim of one of the most “traumatic” experiences of his life, a burglary that took place in 1998. Naturally, it had a heavy impact on his family. 

In a past interview, Norrie described a burglary where thieves stole a significant portion of his Welsh mother Helen’s marathon running trophies and medals. “A lot of her trophies and medals got stolen (she was a Marathon runner). Stuff that is not worth much in terms of cash, but in terms of sentimental value, it was,” he added. Well, Norrie was too young to comprehend the seriousness of the matter at the time.“I don’t remember too much about it, but my mum told me it got a little bit too dangerous so we moved to New Zealand,” he said. 

Although the family relocated to NZ, his Scottish father, David Norrie, did not want him to forget his background and heritage as he grew up. Talking about his two kids, Cameron and Bronwen, he said, “They were born in Africa, but I don’t think you change who you are, where you come from, even if you travel all over.”

Norrie’s parents lived in NZ for decades, ultimately moving back to the United Kingdom, their native place, last year. The Brit, who grew up in Auckland, also spent his university days in America and stayed in the UK for three years before that. While his early years in South Africa might be a distant memory, they undoubtedly shaped him. Now, drawing on these diverse experiences, Norrie is flourishing on the Wimbledon grass courts, showcasing his best performance yet.

Norrie revealed how it was playing against a “good friend” in second-round at Wimbledon

When Cameron Norrie turned pro in 2017, he had already represented the country (New Zealand) he grew up in and clinched the top 10 spots! But as he turned his focus on playing for Great Britain, the place where his parents come from, Norrie again started from scratch, aiming to produce the same result. And, now, it seems, he is one step closer to his goal! After all, at Wimbledon this season, he won over the British No. 1 player, Jack Draper, in the second round.

Nevertheless, it was not as easy as it sounds, especially when you have to fight your friend on the opposite side of the net. “It wasn’t easy coming out here today to play Jack, he’s been playing so well, and we’re such good friends off the court, so we had to put that aside today.”

Leaving behind past traumas, Cameron Norrie is now looking forward to creating better memories on-court. Hopefully, as he faces Alexander Zverev in the third round, he will be able to add another good memory to that list!