Cameron Norrie’s ex-Coach Tells of Moped Crash that Changed Player’s Life

The coach who is acknowledged for helping turn Cameron Norrie’s story around after an accident has told the media that the coach could not be more proud of the tennis professional who he is today.

Norrie who will face Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon men’s singles semi-final on Friday, previously declared that the turning point in his career came when the incident occurred in a crash with a moped during his second year at university. It was a “wake-up call” he needed to start taking his tennis seriously.

David Roditi, who coached the Briton during the time that Norrie was an undergraduate at Texas Christian University, said the incident occurred as “the tip of the iceberg” and was in a conversation with Norrie afterward.

“He didn’t say a lot,” Roditi recalled. “It was not a tense meeting. It was just an opportunity to let us know that we believed that he was at a crossroads and had to decide.”

He stated that at first Norrie was looking to be the “normal” teenager attending university and the fact that “he thought he wasn’t ready to be a dedicated tennis player”.

“He was a typical 19 to 20-year-old. At that age, you need to be having fun, you’re looking to be social, drink several beers, and chase girls” Roditi said.

After the accident, Norrie chose to dedicate his life to the game. “After the crash, my coaches really pushed me into mode and I became more professional from that point on. I went through a lot of growth following the crash. From that point on, I thought, okay I’d like to play tennis, and I’m going to make a commitment to it and then do it,” Norrie said.

Roditi said that there was no doubt that Norrie had been “one of the best – if not the best – tennis prospects in the college system”.

“We are so proud he is recognized as one of the hardest-working players,” Roditi said. “We could not be happier with the tennis professional who he is today. What an amazing role model he’s turned into.”

Their girlfriend of Norrie, Louise Jacobi, has stated that watching him winning his quarter-final against Belgian David Goffin was “surreal”.

Jacobi stated that her boyfriend’s goal was to make the Top 10. “Back then I didn’t know it was going to transpire, and just watching his hard work pay off has been insane,” she explained.