Twelves months ago, Brandon Nakashima posted his best result at a major when he advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon. Ahead of his third appearance at The Championships, the 21-year-old caught up with ATPTour.com to discuss his memories from last year, his favourite Wimbledon traditions and why the grass-court Slam is so special to him.

What is your first memory of watching Wimbledon?
My first memory of watching Wimbledon would be when I was playing a junior tournament, and it was actually during the final, I think it was the 2008 final between Federer and Nadal. I was playing a junior tournament close to home and I remember watching that match on TV and being very excited to be able to watch. It was amazing, an all-time classic.

What are your first memories of playing Wimbledon both as a junior and Tour player and what were your early thoughts about the aura of the venue?
The first time I went to Wimbledon was in the juniors in 2018. It was such a pleasure just to be there to be able to play on those courts. I was just super excited every time I got to go there and play and it was just a such a special experience for a young junior to be around the grounds, see how it is, see all the pro players playing there.

It was really amazing to see it at a young age. It was a little bit different, I would say coming back as a pro in 2021. Just as special, but I was a little bit more used to it. I knew kind of where everything was. But obviously playing in the pros is different, the format and the atmosphere a little bit. It was super exciting. I have nothing but good memories there.

What is the greatest moment you have had at Wimbledon?
My greatest moment would probably be stepping out on Centre Court in the fourth round last year. I didn’t really know what to expect too much and stepping out on such a prestigious court like that, it was a super special feeling. Obviously I was nervous a little bit, but I was super excited and just tried to take it all in. You’re at the biggest stage in professional tennis.

What makes the event so special for you?

I think it’s just the history, all the fans. It’s just such a prestigious place and tournament. It’s from right when you step into the grounds as a fan or as a player, you just feel this sort of atmosphere that you don’t really get anywhere else or any other tournament.

What is your favourite Wimbledon tradition and why?
I would say my favourite tradition would probably be the all-white. I always like it when there’s some sort of dress code in some tournaments. I think the white looks very clean. It’s just special. No other tournament like that, no other dress code like that. I would say that’s my favourite tradition for sure.

What is your favourite thing about playing on grass?
I like the surface a lot. I’d say the season is a little bit short. It takes a little bit time to get used to it but I like it. I would say my favourite part about it is the variety of your game that you have to have to try and play. There is just a bunch of different dimensions to it, like any other surface, but it is different and sometimes you have got to get a little bit out of your comfort zone to do well.

Outside of the main show courts, do you have a favourite court out on the grounds?
Last year I won two matches on Court 12, which is pretty nice. That court was pretty cool. Pretty big stands and a good atmosphere, full stadium. I would say that that court is pretty special to me.

Over the past five years, Cameron Norrie has established himself as a major force on the ATP Tour. The Briton has won five tour-level titles, cracked the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

Behind every top athlete is a world class team, and that is no different for Norrie, who works alongside coach Facundo Lugones, physio Julian Romero and strength and conditioning coach Vasek Jursik.

ATP Tour sat down with ‘Team Norrie’ last month to discuss everyone’s role, their team spirit and much more…

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Cameron Norrie

Norrie’s rise to the top has been built on hard work and dedication. Helping him along the way have been Lugones, Romero and Jursik, who have committed their time to ensure the Briton hits his goals. Norrie’s journey on the ATP Tour began in 2017 after he graduated from Texas Christian University and over time, he has forged a team in which he has full confidence.

“When I first turned pro is was just Facu and I,” Norrie told ATP Tour. “Then slowly after that, I got an agent, James, and then at the end of that year, I ended up getting a physio, Julian, and traveling with him a little bit more and getting a bit more knowledge and learning a bit more like that. Then having a fitness trainer just at home at my base, and then suddenly, having a fitness trainer, [Vasek], as well on the road.

“As I progressed, I was able to pay more and invest more in myself. And I was able to build a team together. For me to purely just focus on tennis and having people responsible for different parts of my career.”

The World No. 13, who revealed his team are very competitive, is thankful for the role everyone plays, highlighting the importance of both hard work and good personalities.

“I think without anyone on the team, I think it’s difficult,” Norrie said. “We’re all pushing one another for a goal at the end of the day and we all know what we have to do. It’s so cool travelling the world with people that I get to select and that I get on really well with and that want the best for me and want the best for my tennis and me as a person. It’s really cool and I think we’re constantly bouncing energy off one another.

“You’re spending a lot of time with one another traveling the world and I think them as people is equally as important as them delivering a great session or telling you the right thing. I think the way they say it and how much you trust them and different parts, I think are even more important than actually what is being said or the content.”

Evidenced by his success, Norrie has found the right team dynamic in recent years and will hope they can continue to push on together this fortnight when he seeks a deep run at Wimbledon.

Cameron Norrie” />

Facundo Lugones: Coach

Coach Lugones has been by Norrie’s side since the Briton’s university days. After studying together at Texas Christian University, Norrie left school in 2017 to turn professional and called on the Argentine to coach him.

It has been a fruitful six years for the pair, with Norrie lifting five tour-level titles and rising to a career-high No. 8. Lugones believes their ability to combine a deep friendship with hard work has been key to their success.

“We’ve known each other for more than 10 years now,” Lugones said. “We are able to separate our friendship with our business relationship. We don’t really take things personal when it comes to work. And then off the court, we’re friends. When we need to work, we work really hard. It is about being honest, being able to talk about literally anything, not hiding anything from each other. I think we’ve done a really good job with that and being super supportive of each other when we need to.”

As coach, a fundamental part of Lugones’ job is to watch opponents before matches. The 30-year-old gave insight into how scouting works.

“In a tournament, if Cam plays tomorrow, we have already watched the matches of the other guy and we have talked about those matches and about the guy and then in practice, we’ll talk about his game and what we need to do. And then just before the match, maybe five minutes before the match, we talk more tactics,” Lugones said.

Facundo Lugones” />
While everyone is fully committed to their roles, Norrie, Romero and Jursik revealed Lugones is Mr. Serious when it comes to work. It is a label the Argentine agrees with.

“I think when it comes to work, I think yeah [I am the most serious],” Lugones said. “Julian and Vasek are a little more relaxed and they also talk about fantasy [football] all day. Cameron’s even doing bench press and talking about fantasy. I think they’re all pretty serious, but I would say maybe I’ll have to take that.”

Lugones’ hard-working attitude has helped disciplined Norrie in his drive to the top. The Argentine revealed his highlight working with Norrie was the lefty’s Indian Wells title run in 2021. The team are now hungry for more success.

“I don’t think you need to push Cam a lot,” Lugones said. “He’s highly motivated and he knows what he wants and what it takes. I think it’s a matter of keeping him in line and really clear what he needs to do and how he needs to manage things on and off the court. Keeping everyone really hungry for more, I think that’s something Cam has done really well. He got a lot of good results and a lot of decent achievements, but he always wants more and he’s never satisfied, so it’s just a big plus.”

Julian Romero: Physio

One of Norrie’s best traits on court is his endurance, with the Briton frequently leaning on his fitness to outlast opponents. Physio Romero is one of the key men involved in ensuring the 27-year-old is at full capacity when he competes, with the pair working together on a full-time basis since the US Open in 2018.

“My role in the team is basically to keep Cam fresh and healthy,” Romero said. “We have very long training days and we start usually trying to treat his body, to release his joints and work on the mobility, doing a comprehensive warmup. And after all the training and tennis and the gym, we work on his body usually in the room or in the physio areas in the tournaments with some passive treatments, such as massages and stretches.”

Romero spent time with Norrie during the offseason in 2017. After being asked to join the team on a full-time basis in 2018, he jumped at the chance.

“I really liked the growth mindset of the whole team, not only Cam, who is usually really hungry and willing to learn a lot and to work hard for what his goal is. So that was one of the main things I really liked about joining the team,” the Argentine said.

With the team spending a large period of the year on the road, their need for strong relationships is key. Like Lugones, Romero loves the camaraderie and competitiveness of the group.

“It’s pretty fun to work with Cam and with the whole team. We have developed over the years a very nice relationship with each other,” Romero said. “We’ve been playing a lot of cards, and we are pretty competitive, especially Cam and Vasek. It’s carnage with the cards, but we also do fantasy football with the Premier League, so we watch a lot of football matches together. We go for dinners. It’s fun to be around outside the job.”

Vasek Jursik: Strength & Conditioning Coach

Strength and conditioning coach Vasek Jursik works closely with Romero to ensure Norrie is in peak physical condition when he steps onto court. Since joining the team in 2019, Jursik has helped build the Briton into the player he is today, working with the lefty week in, week out.

“On a tournament day, normally we have a body prep before the practice, which takes about an hour and a half where we do mobility and then core and shoulder prevention. Then he plays his tennis and then we have strength after. That is [the basic structure] but it depends on the day,” Jursik said when describing his role.

Having worked alongside Norrie for four years, Jursik has seen the World No. 13’s relationship with coach Lugones develop. He feels their strong bond has been crucial in Norrie’s rise.

“The relationship between Facu and Cameron I like a lot,” Jursik said. “They’re very close to each other. And I think Cameron trusts Facu a lot and we can see how much Cameron improved through the years. So I think that the relationship works pretty well.”

While the team is competitive, Lugones and Romero revealed that Jursik and Norrie lead the way, with card games a daily occurrence. Jursik was in full agreement.

“Cameron is very competitive so every time we have free time, he just wants to play games,” Jursik said. “We play lots of cards and we play for the coffees as a team. Sometimes when we have a major we pick out the qualifiers and then whoever loses needs to pay for coffees for a week. We’re doing all these kinds of things and everything is for the coffee. I’m the guy who plays a lot with Cameron, especially the cards, and yeah, he’s winning a lot quite a lot.”

However, when it is time to work, the team is always ready.

“I think it’s not easy because we are working so much together, so the work and the relationships go together,” Jursik said. “But I think Cameron knows when he needs to work and when it is the time to have more fun. He knows when he needs to push a bit more. I’ll tell him and then he understands straightaway.”

Photo Credits: ATP Tour

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.

The Mallorca Championships is one of the eight tournaments on the calendar that make up the grass swing. Its director, Toni Nadal, spoke to ATPTour.com about the peculiarities of the surface on which this ATP 250 tournament is played.

What do you need to play well on grass?
On grass the concept of tennis changes completely. While on clay you have to be a solid player with powerful and consistent shots from the baseline, here the court helps you when you have a good serve. When you hit the ball you don’t need so much power, but you have to hit it a little lower to make it hard for the opponent to return and that’s something that’s kind of forgotten in Spanish tennis, playing on grass.

Which players embody that style of tennis?
Roger Federer. Also, Pete Sampras. And for the Spaniards, Feliciano Lopez, although Rafael [Nadal] has obviously had better results. I think Feli’s game was more suited to it in the strict sense of the grass game. 

Speaking of Feliciano Lopez, he is one of the attractions at the Mallorca Championships, where he is ending his career…
We are lucky to have practically the biggest specialist here. It is true that Rafael was too, but Feliciano Lopez I think is the clearest exponent of grass tennis, with a powerful serve, with plenty of spin. He has some flat slice shots, which are very difficult for the opponent to return and he’s also a good volleyer. That’s what you need to play here.

You’ve mentioned your nephew twice. Can you describe the process of making him into a great grass-court player?

Rafael is a player that adapted well to the grass court, and until he had knee problems, I think he was a great grass-court player. He played in the Wimbledon final in 2006 and 2007. He won in 2008. In 2009 he didn’t play, in 2010 he won a second title and in 2011 he was in the final again. That is, he played five consecutive finals at Wimbledon, which demonstrates his level.

Why did he adapt so well, even though it’s not his favourite surface?
Rafael adapted well because, despite not having a big serve, he had very good movement around the court, good mobility, his volley was good enough and his speed allowed him to play very well at Wimbledon. I think if he hadn’t had the knee injury that made it difficult to play on that surface, he would have won there more times. 

You weren’t lucky enough to have a tournament at home like the Mallorca Championships you now direct.

No, unfortunately for us, the grass court was unusual. It was rare to play there. If we’d had this tournament at that time, we would have allowed ourselves to prepare here a certain time in advance, but that’s what there was at that time.That’s why, when I speak to those that run Spanish tennis, I say to them: “You don’t know how lucky you are to have a tournament of these characteristics here, a quality event, on a surface that’s quite unusual for us.” [Manuel] Santana, to prepare for the Wimbledon he won, had to go to Australia. Nowadays you can come here and prepare and play with quality players here in Mallorca.

How important are the Mallorca Championships for the island?
It’s hugely important. Having been able to get all the people together who have come to play this tournament in the last three years is difficult to do. The Mallorca Championships has done that. We’ve had the opportunity to see [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, [Novak] Djokovic, [Daniil] Medvedev and [Dominic] Thiem.

The opportunity the island has had to welcome these players is important for tennis lovers, but it’s also good in terms of communication to have an event of this category, which enhances our island as a sporting destination. I think it’s essential for the island.

What are your views on the 2023 edition?
The tournament is growing every year. I think that both the event and the infrastructure in general is growing, and people notice that. This tournament, although it’s new, after just three years on the Tour — and we know how difficult it is at first to put events of this category on and for them to work immediately — is establishing itself further.

I believe the players are happy to play here and although this year we’ve had problems with injuries to several global players, the lineup is still very good. I know, because I spoke to the players, they are very happy, both with their treatment and everything that comes with playing here.

Finally, are there any active players that have caught your eye on this surface?
Nowadays, tennis is very level, it has become a scientific sport — like almost all the others — in which you know what you have to do at all times, what you need to do to break down your opponent’s game. Evidently, the most special player today is Carlos Alcaraz, and he is the player to beat because of his speed and the intensity of his game.

It’s true that Djokovic is still up there and he’s proving his level. Despite the fact that he is now 36 and despite the fact that he is far from the level he played in 2011 and 2015, he is still the man to beat, having won the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

There are lot of moving pieces at the Isner household in Wimbledon Village this fortnight.

John Isner, the former Top 10 American, who reached the semi-finals at The Championships in 2018, has brought wife Maddie and their four children to the The All England Club, where he has made his share of history over the years.

Knowing that at 38 future Wimbledon appearances are not guaranteed, Isner said that he wanted to bring his newly expand family, including two-month-old son, Chapel, to London.

“That had a lot to do with it,” he said. “My daughter (Hunter Grace, 4) was here in 2019 but she doesn’t remember that. In 2020 there wasn’t a Wimbledon and last year the family didn’t come, so it made sense for us all to make the trip this year.

“It certainly makes things easier to be renting a house in the village that has a backyard. My daughter and son share a room like they do at home. We’re doing a good job of making it feel like a home away from home and we’re enjoying it so far.”

The Isners, including Hobbs (3) and Mack (1 ½) also have extra company in London. Coach David Macpherson and his partner, Jahki, are housemates, as is nanny, Sarah.

“We have Sarah, who is awesome; the kids love her. Jahki is a massive help as well. She does so much with the kids and they adore her. Macca is a huge help. We have it all covered. It’s not as difficult as it may seem. With the free time I have to spend away from the courts, this is exactly what I want to be doing.

“Before you leave Dallas, making the trip feels a little daunting, but when you get here it’s great. The kids have been sleeping through the night, so I’m not on duty all the time. I’m taking care of my business at the court. And of course my wife has done an incredible job with them all.”

In 2010 Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set of an 11-hour, five-minute epic on Court 18, serving a world-record 113 aces in the process. He also pushed Kevin Anderson to 26-24 in the fifth of the 2018 semi-finals.

But when he takes the court Monday against Spain’s Jaume Munar, all Isner will be thinking about is how to make it into the second round in his first match of the grass season — while hopefully making a memory for at least one of his children. “We haven’t talked about if any of the kids will make it to the match, but if anyone does it will be Hunter Grace,” he said. “We’ll figure that out Sunday.”

In addition to caring for his kids, Isner also takes pleasure in putting his cooking skills to good use for his entourage. Friday night featured a cookout.

“I cook a lot at home. I love to cook,” Isner said. “I love going to the grocery store, I love picking up food, I love to cook. I even like to clean.

“Last night we put some steaks on the grill and Jahki prepared rice, green beans and a salad; it was a fantastic meal. We ate outside with the birds taking care of the scraps falling on the ground. It’s so special, and you can’t replicate this on tour anywhere else. It’s what makes Wimbledon unique.”

Christopher Eubanks continued his breakthrough season Saturday when he collected his maiden ATP Tour title at the Mallorca Championships.

Following his triumph, the American is set to debut inside the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at No. 43 entering Wimbledon. The 27-year-old caught up with ATPTour.com to reflect on being crowned champion at the ATP 250 grass-court event.

What does this mean to you to win your first title?
It means everything. It means that a lot of the hard work that I’ve been doing, and the persistence that I’ve tried to have throughout the ups and downs of my career, it’s all worth it. It’s all worth it for this moment right here, to be standing here as a champion of an ATP event. It means the world and it’s something really special.

If someone said to you at the start of the season that you would win your first title this year, would you have picked grass as a surface you would do it on?
Absolutely not. My grass-court season got off to a bit of a rough start at the Surbiton Challenger, I lost in the second round. I began to question whether or not I could be good on the surface. I didn’t think that I could.

But my coach, Ruan Roelofse, and I, we put in a lot of work on the grass to try and understand the footing and the shots and everything that I would need to have in order to be successful. And it all paid off this week.

Take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you reach this milestone.
There’s so many of them. I have to start with my family, my family has been behind me. My mom [Carla], my dad [Mark], my older brother [Mark]. Donald Young and his family were so, so influential in my career. He allowed me to travel with him as a practice partner from the time I was 15 years old. So I got to see professional tennis up close and then the more you see it, the more you actually believe that you can do it.

Jarmere Jenkins and his family. He is like a big brother to me, continues to mentor me consistently. Coco Gauff and her family are like a second family, that’s like my little sister, so I’m probably willing to bet I have a text message or something from her. My college coaches Kenny Thorne, Kevin King, and Derek Schwandt, they really pushed me.

Somebody that I really want to shout-out is Kim Clijsters, because after my first week on grass, I sent Kim a text and I said, ‘Grass is the stupidest surface to play tennis on, I don’t know why we’re playing on a court that’s so uneven, I can’t have my footing!’ And Kim sent me a really positive message back, just telling me areas that she struggled on the grass and things to work on to feel more and more comfortable on it. So I have to give her a huge, huge shout-out. I’m looking forward to giving her a call.

You started the year outside the Top 120, now you have cracked the Top 50. Did you think this was possible? What does it mean to be a Top 50 player?
I thought it was possible, I didn’t know if I would do it. I didn’t know if I could be consistent enough to really put together four, five matches multiple times. I was able to do it in Miami, I was able to do it here. So I think it was more so a consistency question for myself, not necessarily if I have the game to do it. And I was able to do it. I think I kind of proved something to myself and now it’s added motivation to continue working harder.

How much confidence and self belief did your quarter-final run in Miami give you?
I think it gave me a lot. It was the first time in which I’ve put together that many matches against those quality of opponents. So after Miami, I had to sit back and look and say, ‘You know what? Maybe I can be consistent, I’m not just one hot match, one cold match, maybe I can put things together.’ I think that was a huge, huge, huge part of my success this week, just believing that I could do it.

How excited are you for your Wimbledon main-draw debut, especially coming to the event with top form?
Really, really excited. Never played Wimbledon main draw. So that’s going to be something new altogether. I’m looking forward to getting there. I have a practice set tomorrow at Aorangi [Park]. I’m really excited to hop on the plane, get to London, and get on the Wimbledon grounds. It’s going to be such an honour.

How did you start playing tennis? What are some of your early memories playing the sport?
I have an older brother who was already involved in tennis when I was born. So when I came along, my dad was working with my older brother. And then I started out at the age where I could run and walk, it was just easy to bring me out of the house to go with them to the tennis courts. And then when I could run and I was athletic enough to kind of stay on my feet, my dad put a tennis racquet in my hand. So it kind of started with my dad and my older brother.

What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis?
Probably broadcasting. I really, really enjoy doing commentary for Tennis Channel. I’ve been able to do it a few times. And it’s something that sparked my interest back in 2021, when I got to see some of my friends, who unfortunately were out with injuries, start to do broadcasts and I said, ‘That looks like it could be a lot of fun, maybe I should give it a try!’

I think my first time was last year during the clay-court season. I had a chance to do it and I said ‘Man, this is a lot of fun.’ It’s fun to be able to watch tennis, talk tennis, something I do in my free time anyway. So might as well go ahead and do it a little bit more formally.

How will it feel to be playing in your home city of Atlanta later this month when you’re introduced as an ATP Tour champion?
It’s going to be incredible, I’ve had so many memories at that tournament. Some of my best memories throughout my career have come at that tournament, so it’s going to be really fun stepping foot on the court and hearing them say, ‘ATP Tour champion’.

Yuki Bhambri and Lloyd Harris continued the perfect start to their partnership by winning the Mallorca Championships doubles title on Saturday. Now 4-0 as a pair, the Indian-South African duo defeated Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP 250 final, completing their run without losing a set.

The trophy is the first ATP Tour crown for both men across both singles and doubles. Only Harris had previously reached a tour-level final, twice in singles and once before in doubles.

“Definitely a lot of fun. We went in with no expectations I think this week,” said the 30-year-old Bhambri. “We just enjoyed playing, took it match by match and had a great tournament. It’s a great city, a great place and I really enjoyed playing here.”

“We had so much fun out there,” added Harris, 26, who became the first South African to win an ATP Tour title since Raven Klaasen last year in Seoul. “We really enjoyed it. I didn’t even know I was going to play this week. For me, it’s just all a bonus. Super stoked with the title.”

After knocking out fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the quarter-finals and top seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the semis, Bhambri and Harris converted on four of six break points in their final victory. Aided by eight aces, they won 90 per cent of their first-serve points and faced just two break points, saving one.

Bhambri moved up to No. 58 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Live Rankings with the title, setting himself up for a new career high.

Haase and Oswald fell to 1-2 in ATP Tour finals as a team with the defeat.

Daniil Medvedev’s major record is not to be sniffed at. The World No. 3 has lifted the US Open trophy, reached two finals at the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

The 27-year-old has always struggled to find his top level at Wimbledon, though, with his best result a run to the fourth round in 2021. Medvedev is determined to change the record this fortnight as he seeks a sixth tour-level title of the season in London.

“The fact that Wimbledon for the moment is my worst slam in terms of results, maximum fourth round. I want to try to improve it, I want to try to play well. I have big goals for this year,” Medvedev said in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday.

“I’m really looking forward because the first two Slams were not as I expected. This can happen. I have even more kind of goals towards Wimbledon to try to show my best tennis.”

Having arrived on Tuesday, Medvedev feels his preparations have gone well at SW19. The 20-time tour-level champion will face British wild card Arthur Fery in the first round and is excited to soak up the atmosphere at the grass-court major.

“I definitely feel like every time you come to Wimbledon, it’s the same feeling, especially the first day… The first day you come, it was the same for me in juniors, you’re like, ‘Wow, that must be the best place in the world’. Every flower seems to be in the right order, the right colour. The locker rooms are unbelievable. Food is great. I mean, the atmosphere around the site itself, first day you always say, ‘Wow, that’s the best tournament’.

“The only bad thing is when you lose, you go crazy. You’re like, ‘No, I played so bad’. That’s why I want to try to make it even a happier place for me.”

Medvedev, currently third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, has struggled at Wimbledon but has shown promising signs on grass at other tour-level events. In 2021 he lifted his only trophy on the surface in Mallorca, before reaching finals in Halle and ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2022.

“I feel like I can play well on grass,” Medvedev said. “Last year I made two finals in the three tournaments that I played. Just need to find my way, find my rhythm. That’s the last tournament where I can do it.”

Medvedev is in the top half of the draw alongside World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who Medvedev is seeded to meet in the quarter-finals.