TCU product Cameron Norrie, left, won the biggest title of his professional career last weekend at Indian Wells. He is coached by former TCU teammate Facundo Lugones.
Courtesy of TCU Athletics
CNN said that Britain had a new tennis star. A BBC Sport posting on social media about his victory garnered thousands of likes.
Yes, TCU’s Cameron Norrie is quickly becoming a household name in the tennis world. He scored his biggest professional victory to date, winning the ATP Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open last weekend.
Norrie beat Nikoloz Basilashvili in straight sets on Sunday to win the title at Indian Wells.
He is the first British player to win at Indian Wells, which some consider to be the “fifth major” in tennis. He also became Britain’s highest ranked male player and is now No.16 in the world.
“What an amazing week I have had here,” Norrie told reporters afterwards. “I still don’t really know what I’m going through. It’s been an amazing few weeks and I’m so happy with the way I handled every opportunity, every big moment, every game. Yes, I am so happy, so happy to win my biggest title.
Norrie, 26, had a remarkable academic career at TCU, joining the program in 2013. He went on to become an All-American three times and still holds the TCU season singles winning percentage record (0.955) after being 21-1 in 2017.
Norrie turned pro in the summer of 2017 and has steadily climbed the professional ranks. He reached the third round of four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, including a third round match he lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in July.
Norrie is coached by former TCU teammate Facundo Lugones, who played at TCU from 2011 to 2015. The two still train at TCU Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center during breaks on tour.
“I always thought he was incredibly good,” Lugones told reporters after the game. “It’s just a matter of when things are going to kick in and if he can stick to the things that work and stick to the process. Not to give up, not to be defeated by difficult times like in the past, terrible losses, a lot of finals, a lot of very bad losses. It didn’t matter to him. He always had a broader vision.
“When you have someone with that ability, I think there are no limits.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2021 8:36 pm.
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