After missing over three months due to injury, British tennis star Cameron Norrie is ready to make the most of his time on the ATP Tour as the season comes to an end.
The former World No.8 last competed in Bastad in July, losing to Rafael Nadal in the round of 16. Subsequently, Norrie missed the Olympics and North American hard court swing, including the US Open, due to injury.
The former Wimbledon semifinalist returned to action on Tuesday at the Stockholm Open, after taking time off to recuperate. Although Norrie fell in the opening round to Miomir Kecmanovic, the 29-year old admitted he missed competing on the ATP Tour.
"It was obviously frustrating at the beginning to miss all those big tournaments, that was tough," said Norrie. "But it was a good chance to refresh the body. It was just one shot a few days before the Olympics. I had to stop and then I did scans and it wasn’t looking good. I trained a little bit more, trying to get myself ready for the US Open, but it wasn’t to be. It was a tough one.
“After six, seven years on the Tour, I didn’t really miss one week through injury. So, I definitely realized that was amazing. To enjoy time with my girlfriend and be a normal person for a little bit was something I haven’t done for a very long time, maybe since college.
“That was nice, for a bit, but then I realized I missed tennis a lot, I missed competing, the emotions of winning or losing. It’s a very steady life [when not competing]. I enjoyed it, but I feel ready to compete, ready to battle on the court.”