Last Briton standing Cameron Norrie has urged fans to back his bid to roar into the semi-finals of Wimbledon today.
He will be cheered on by girlfriend Louise Jacobi, 23, and his parents David and Helen as he becomes the first British man to reach the quarter-finals since Sir Andy Murray in 2017.
And branding experts predict Norrie could well be the man to step into Sir Andy Murray’s tennis shoes as the 35-year-old Scot edges towards the end of his career.
Humble Norrie, nicknamed “Nozza”, does not bother with fancy cars to take him to and from SW19 – he simply hops on his bike.
He said he has not once been recognised while pedalling into Wimbledon this summer, but that could soon change if Norrie, who lives in Putney, south west London, becomes a household name.
The Newcastle United fan said: “Every other day I have been cycling in. I was doing the same to Queen’s. I don’t even have a car.
“Honestly, I’ve not been recognised cycling at all but it’s nice to beat the traffic and it’s a good warm-up for sure.
“I’m just doing it to get around. It takes 10 minutes to get here.
“The car takes 15 or 20. It’s nice. I can be on my own schedule.”
Some supporters are keen for Henman Hill – or Murray Mound – to be ranamed “Norrie Knoll”.
Norrie breezed past Tommy Paul in Sunday’s fourth round, making him the last of 17 Britons to start the tournament.
Fans Josh Brown, 30, and Lily Leotardi, 28, from east London, called Norrie’s win “impressive” and backed the idea of Norrie Knoll.
Josh said: “Yeah why not? The old guard need to make some room for the new players in British tennis.”
Norrie, born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand by his British parents, has urged UK fans to throw their support behind him.
The 26-year-old, who is the favourite against Belgian David Goffin, became the British number one last year. He previously said: “I consider myself British.
“Both my parents are British. My mum is Welsh and my dad is Scottish, with a filthy Scottish accent.”
Norrie said yesterday: “I am the last one left so why not get behind me even more? From the first round everyone has been supporting me and it showed in tougher situations.”
Norrie is thought to have a net worth of around £3million, while he has won around £5 million in prize money over the years.
Branding expert Marcel Knobil said: “The UK is hankering for a male tennis star to replace Andy Murray, who seems on the way out.
“Not only the public, but brands will be yearning for Norrie to step on the stage as Murray steps off it.
“And what’s of primary importance, in the same way with Emma Raducanu, is performance. And it looks like Norrie is now building consistent performances.
“While he may not come across as the most charismatic, he’s definitely primed and the stronger he performs, the more attractive a brand ambassador he becomes.
“His victory will be his vehicle to success because there are some performers who are so flamboyant and charismatic that performance is not their main vehicle.
“But when you’re more of a regular guy it really comes down to winning matches. So Norrie is on the cusp, it’s the tipping point. He’s one victory away from brands stepping in and having a real think about him.
“This is a true tipping point in the commercial side of his career.”
Partner Louise, the founder of a creative interior design firm, regularly shares Instagram snaps of the loved-up pair on their travels and enjoying evenings out.
And Louise will have gained some Satisfaction from his fourth round win on Sunday afternoon – as she had tickets to watch The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park.
As soon as Norrie wrapped up his straight sets victory, she set off to see Mick Jagger, 78, in action.
Norrie is the son of Glasgow-born David Norrie and his wife, Helen, originally from Cardiff.
The couple, both microbiologists, spent the first three years of their son’s life in Johannesburg, South Africa, before relocating to Auckland in New Zealand, after a “traumatic” burglary incident when a neighbour was held at gunpoint.
They raised Cameron and their daughter Bronwen in Auckland.
Helen, an accomplished long-distance runner in her youth, introduced her son to tennis, handing him a sawn-off squash racquet so he could hit a ball around in their driveway.
Racquet sports run in the blood. Father David is a former British universities No 1 squash player, while Helen also played the sport to university level.
Aged 16, Cameron moved to London from New Zealand to train full-time at the National Tennis Centre, in south west London. Feeling a lack of support from the New Zealand tennis federation, Norrie made the decision to switch allegiance to Great Britain in 2013.
In 2014 he took a scholarship to Texas Christian University in the United States and quickly established himself as a star performer on the prestigious college circuit.
He became the top-ranked male college tennis player in the US and turned pro in 2017. This is his first Grand Slam quarter-final. Norrie has become friendly with Sir Andy Murray, who made time to train with Norrie when he made his senior debut at Wimbledon in 2017.
When Norrie became Britain’s No1 last year, Sir Andy said: “I have spent a decent amount of time around him and practised with him quite a lot and he works extremely hard.
“He’s a great example for not just British players but all tennis players to look at and go, if you put the effort in day in, day out and properly dedicate yourself to the sport, have an attitude like he does, it can take you a long, long way.”
Meanwhile defending champ Novak Djokovic was helped out on the practice courts with his seven-year-old son Stefan ahead of his quarter-final against Italian Jannik Sinner today.
Stars enjoying the action at Wimbledon yesterday included TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, actor Sir Ian McKellen and comedian Stephen Fry.
