"Novak Djokovic was at the highest level of the three" - Cameron Norrie draws comparisons between the Serb, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal
Cameron Norrie recently said he considers Novak Djokovic to be a more formidable opponent than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Norrie has had the opportunity to face each member of the 'Big 3'. He has suffered defeat to Djokovic in all four of their tour-level encounters, including a straight-set loss in their most recent clash at the 2023 Davis Cup.
The Brit trails 4-1 in his head-to-head against Nadal, but emerged victorious in their latest encounter at the 2023 United Cup. Meanwhile, his sole tour-level meeting against Federer resulted in a defeat.
In a recent interview with Tennis365, Norrie said that Djokovic posed the greatest challenge for him and that he was the "highest level" opponent he had ever faced:
"Djokovic was at the highest level of the three. It was the toughest match-up for me," he said.
Norrie also said Djokovic has elevated his game significantly in the past few years, as is evident from his remarkable accomplishments:
"But Novak has taken his game to the next level in the last few years and that is proved by the titles he has won."
The 28-year-old also reflected on his narrow defeat to Federer at 2021 Wimbledon. He expressed regret over the missed opportunities that eventually led to the Swiss legend's 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory.
"I played Federer at Wimbledon two years ago and had a lot of chances in that match," Norrie said. "I didn’t start too well and the first couple of sets in that match could have done differently. He played really well in the fourth set."
"Novak Djokovic's serve has improved more than any other shot" - Cameron Norrie
Novak Djokovic beat Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in their match at the 2023 Davis Cup. Norrie reflected on the defeat in the aforementioned interview, lavishing praise on the Serb's serving skills.
"Seeing how well he managed his service games in the Davis Cup match and how well he was hitting his spots was crazy," Norrie said.
He also expressed a desire to match the 24-time Grand Slam champion's serving prowess.
"I think got to 30 (points) once in his service games, and I felt like I was returning well. So, it was a good learning experience. If I could get to the point where I can manage my service games like him, it would be nice," he added.
Norrie deemed the World No. 1's serve to be the most improved aspect of his game, citing Jannik Sinner's difficulty in countering it during the 2023 ATP Finals final in Turin.
"I watched Djokovic in the ATP Finals against (Jannik) Sinner, and he couldn’t even get close to in his service games again. The spots he can hit consistently are amazing. His serve has improved more than any other shot," Norrie said.