Cameron Norrie's Busy Calendar: Davis Cup, Wedding, and Auckland Title
Cameron Norrie’s calendar is packed, but his priorities are clear: Davis Cup, a wedding, then one more crack at the Auckland title that has always felt like home.
The 31-year-old, who grew up in Bucklands Beach, is juggling preparations for Great Britain’s Davis Cup duties with final touches for his upcoming wedding. It is a rare stretch of life off court intruding on life on it, and he is embracing every bit of it.
“I have a couple weeks until Davis Cup and then I have my wedding, so I’m so excited,” Norrie said. “I just want to completely enjoy everything. There’s been more things to plan than I would expect, so it’s been difficult, but luckily we’ve had some help.”
The logistics are heavy, the emotions heavier. Families will come together, worlds will meet, and for once the biggest date in Norrie’s diary will not involve ranking points.
“It’s something that’s going to be super special to do and have our families meet, so I can’t wait for it to be honest.”
No honeymoon in Auckland
The timing of the ASB Classic, though, means romance will not be following him to New Zealand this time. Norrie made it clear Auckland will be business, not a beachside getaway.
“I’ll do Davis Cup, then the wedding, then kind of that’s my time off,” he explained. “I’ll go quickly back into training and actually she’s not coming to Auckland this year, so we’ll do something eventually, but no honeymoon for now.
“But when I have the time, then we’ll do something nice for sure.”
Norrie has twice finished runner-up at the ATP men’s ASB Classic and knows every corner of the Manuka Doctor Arena. For him, this is not just another stop on tour; it is a return to where the sport first captured his imagination.
“It’s a special tournament for me. Obviously growing up in Bucklands Beach, also going to that tournament as a fan, watching all the players play,” he said. “It’s so special for me and even just to go back to Auckland, I just feel good there.”
The city has changed for him, though. His parents have moved away, his sister now lives in London, and the place that once meant home now feels more like a cherished checkpoint on a global schedule.
“Obviously, my parents are no longer living there, my sister’s living in London as well, so it’s always a little bit different going back.
“But yeah, just a special, special place and I’ve always gone back to try win the tournament.
“But this year I’m just going to go to enjoy Auckland again and just go play and get myself ready for the Australian Open. I can’t wait.”
Regret between the lines
There is one frustration that lingers: for all his ties to New Zealand, Norrie has barely seen it.
“I think the problem is it’s just so far away,” he admitted. He has almost always flown in on tournament time, with the clock already ticking towards Melbourne.
“I always go for the tournament or most of the time I’ve gone, but the tricky thing is with the tournament is I go and then when I’m finished with the tournament, I quickly have to go to Melbourne to get ready.
“There’s no hanging around a day to enjoy the beaches, go surfing or do something else, it’s a very quick schedule.
“So I think that’s one thing I always regret and there’s nothing more I would like to spend more time there and I think when I am done with my career, I’ll go back and do all the touristy stuff, rent a van, but that I need some time for that.”
For now, time is the one luxury he cannot buy. The WTA women’s ASB Classic runs from January 4-10, followed by the ATP men’s event from January 11-16, before the tour barrels on towards Melbourne and the Australian Open.
Between Davis Cup, a wedding, and another tilt at the Auckland title that keeps slipping away, Norrie’s next few weeks will move fast. The question is whether the city that shaped him will finally give him the trophy he has been chasing since he was just another kid in the stands.
