Wimbledon: Cameron Norrie relishing chance to overtake Andy Murray as Britain's leading man

The 12th seed is the highest-ranked home player and represents the best chance of a deep run, particularly given his breakthrough success in reaching the semi-finals 12 months ago.

That earned Norrie membership of one of Britain’s most exclusive sporting clubs, which he has been fully embracing.

“At the end of last year, I had a bit of time off,” he said. “I was coming to the club and did some gym work here. Had dinner here one night. Before Queen’s I was coming here using the gym. Last week coming here and using the club a lot.

“The food is so good here, even outside of the tournament. Me and my fitness trainer really like the gym. Obviously to practise here one day was great, too.

“I just got my membership, so it was cool to use that. It’s such a nice club. It’s almost worth coming here just to have a shower and just to enjoy, the showers they have are so good.

“It feels so special. I think even more so when the tournament is not even on. Not many people are around. The facilities are obviously so good. You get treated like someone really special.”

Norrie has spent close to two years in the world’s top 20 despite not earning any ranking points for his achievements here last year.

This season he won his fifth ATP Tour title, beating Carlos Alcaraz in Rio in February, and, despite more shaky form recently, he is happy to carry the weight of expectation on his shoulders.

He said: “There’s more questions like that being asked. But I’d rather have that than the opposite to that and (people) be like, ‘You’re going to bomb out first round again here’.

“I think you have to embrace it, you have to enjoy that. Last year I did a really good job of that, enjoying the matches, enjoying the media. I was loving every moment of it. I had all my friends and family watching.

“I’m excited, especially after last year. Practice has been going really well. I’m hitting the ball as well as I can. I think all the preparation has been there. It’s always good feelings, good sensations before Wimbledon. My favourite tournament, so I can’t wait.”

Last year the draw opened up for Norrie but he appears to have his work cut out if he is to make the latter stages again, with American Sebastian Korda, who he lost to at Queen’s Club, potentially lurking in the third round, while Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are in his quarter.

First up on Tuesday, Norrie will face Czech qualifier Tomas Machac, a 22-year-old ranked 107.

“He’s really a talented guy, Tomas,” said Norrie, who lost to Machac’s Davis Cup team-mate Jiri Lehecka at the Australian Open.

“I’m watching some of his matches in the qualies. I think he’s a typical Czech player, really good backhand. I think he’ll see it as a really good opportunity, playing a top player.

“I know I’m going to get a lot of rhythm. I think it’s a good one for me. I’m looking forward to a good challenge. Just going to be a tough one and I have to play great.”

A practice session with his old foe Novak Djokovic showed Andy Murray how far he has come as he prepares for another tilt at Wimbledon. Ten years after he beat the Serbian to win his first title at the All England Club, Murray took on Djokovic in a training set on Court 14, with many of the army of people putting the final touches to preparations for the tournament crowding round for a glimpse.

The last time Murray remembers practising with his former junior rival before a grand slam was a miserable session at the Australian Open back in 2019, a day before he tearfully laid bare the extent of his hip problems.

This was a very different occasion, and the Scot said: “I did well in the practice. Where I am today in comparison to where I was then is night and day, just from a mental perspective, my enjoyment of the game, and how I’m still able to compete with those guys.

“I didn’t feel like I could really back then. I’m happy to be in that position still. I really enjoyed it. We used to practise together quite a lot actually.

“It was nice to be back on the court with him again.”

Murray is not yet back at the stage where he could be considered one of the likely challengers to Djokovic for the title.

Despite winning successive events on the second-tier Challenger Tour in Surbiton and Nottingham, he missed out on a seeding for Wimbledon and will go in ranked 39.

Murray’s deadpan humour was on show as he was asked about playing a British player in the first round for the first time since his second title run in 2016.

“Brilliant,” he said. “Can we start celebrating now?”

On that occasion it was Liam Broady in his way, this time 27-year-old wild card Ryan Peniston.

“I know him pretty well,” said Murray. “We’ve practised together quite a lot. He obviously likes playing on the grass courts. He’s had some good wins on the surface. Lefty, moves very well. I need to be ready for that one.”

Dan Evans, the 27th seed for Wimbledon, has endured a difficult season and, after losing to Sebastian Korda in the first round at Queen’s Club, today takes on France’s Quentin Halys.