British No. 1 Cameron Norrie sensationally reached the Wimbledon semi-finals where he will face Novak Djokovic, reaching a career-best stage at a Grand Slam while also securing a stunning £472,000 in prize money.
The home crowd went wild when Norrie defeated veteran David Goffin in a thrilling 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 win on Court One. The Brit got off to a nervy start but overcame it and rode the stunning atmosphere to secure a place in his first Grand Slam semi-final.
On Friday, Norrie will take on World No.1 and defending champion Djokovic, who hasn’t been defeated on the hallowed SW19 green as he has claimed three successive Wimbledon titles, for a place in the final on Sunday. Asked for his reaction to beating the Belgian, Norrie said: “Honestly? Speechless. I can't even talk.”
The 26-year-old will certainly be lost for words when he discovers the payday he has earned by reaching the semi-finals. Wimbledon have a £35.7 million prize pot across the Championships, and Norrie has secured just over £472,000 for defeated the unseeded Goffin.
If Norrie defeats Djokovic to reach the final, his prize money will rise to a cool £1 million. The winner of Wimbledon in 2022 will claim a prize of £1.76 million, which the Brit will undoubtedly be keen to achieve.
Norrie’s remarkable winnings match the total issued to the men’s singles champion of Wimbledon 20 years ago. The 2022 winners for both men’s and women’s will see a 15% increase in their paycheque on last year’s total, while they will also take home the coveted championship trophies, of course.
After securing his place in the semi-finals, Norrie showed his emotion as he struggled to find the words amid the cheers of those in attendance, which included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The World No.12 drank in the moment as he celebrated reaching the final four of a major for the first time in his career.
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“I think just winning a match like this, I'm in shock. I don't know what to say now,” Norrie continued. “I have flashbacks of all the hard work and all the sacrifices I have had to make and it's definitely paid off - and it feels pretty good.”
Norrie has become the first Brit since Johanna Konta in 2017 to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon while he is the first man to do it since two-time champion Andy Murray in 2016. He faces the impervious Djokovic in Friday’s semi-final as he chases a seventh Wimbledon title.
The 35-year-old was given a remarkable scare by Italy's Jannik Sinner but fought back to defeat the inexperienced star in five sets. Norrie is aware of the task before him, adding: “It’s great to get this now but it's only going to get tougher.
“I’m going take it to Novak and hopefully you guys can get behind me and I'm sure you will.”
