What would you be if you weren’t a ‘enter current profession’? Were Cam Norrie not a tennis player, he might well be exploring the depths of the ocean.

For now he can afford to stick to life on the court, where the Brit just sealed his spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after toppling the big-serving Nicolas Jarry in a dogged five-set four-hour epic on Sunday.

Norrie looked on course to cruise through to the second week at the All England Club as he claimed the opening two sets, only for an inspired Jarry to unearth his baseline ferocity on the way to winning the next two to send the match to a decider.

So often advertisements of the Norrie threat are built around not only the finesse of his left arm, but so too an unrelenting will power and work ethic. The latest reminder of this would resurface a story surrounding his superhuman (not quite) respiratory system.

“With my lungs, I just randomly did a test. I think I was in college or one summer, and I did a test,” said Norrie. “They were, like, Oh, you must be some, like, deep sea diver or something like, we did some test on your lungs, They’re huge.

“I said, Well, I didn’t even know. I was, like, Okay. I think since then I’ve had huge confidence in my cardio. I don’t know.

“It must be true, but yeah, I think it just gives me – I can back myself in those longer rallies and everything, and I think it’s just kind of a false confidence, but I’ll take it.”

Jarry had some words of his own for Norrie. Deep, sea or diving were not among them, nor were they words of admiration for said lungs.

The Chilean appeared to lead a heated exchange with Norrie as the pair shook hands at the end of the contest, seemingly referring to his earlier frustration over the length of time his opponent was taking to serve.

Jarry had complained to umpire Eva Asredaki-Moore that Norrie was bouncing the ball an unnecessary number of times before serving, raising the query after dropping the second set.

“What is the rule there?”, he asked. “The problem is, is it normal to do that when it affects the other player? “You have to intervene there or I have to suck it. That’s the real issue, it doesn’t matter the reason. It is the same as hitting the ball anywhere.

“It’s not intentional, but you have to apply the code as well. How is it now? He can perfectly stop doing it, it’s not a nervous tick. It’s something he can control. It’s not a nervous tick.

“You think there’s nothing I can do so I just have to suck it up, because he does it always.

“That’s a reason for me to have to play with something that affects me. It can be changed, it’s not something that cannot be changed.”

Asredaki-Moore informed Jarry that the act had to be deemed intentional for it to be a violation of the rules, and that she did not believe it to be the case. Whatever the case, it provoked a rampant response from the 29-year-old to claw back the next two sets.

Norrie noted Jarry had also alluded to him being too vocal, though both men were quick to downplay the situation in their post-match press conferences, the latter wishing his rival the best.

“For both of us, we really wanted to win the match,” said Norrie. “Yeah, I think it was obviously frustrating for him to lose. I just told him, Man, that was unbelievable level. You competed so well, and I loved the way you kind of responded. It was such a good match. The atmosphere was really good.

“I think he just said I was being a little bit too vocal, but I was aiming directly at my team and pulling from the crowd. The atmosphere of the court was so, so good.

“Honestly, nothing but credit to Nico for his performance. And to see him not only playing at that level, you know, seeing him enjoying his tennis and coming through quallies so easily and dropping guys, so I wish him all the best.

“I guess we both really wanted to win. It was a huge match, so I can understand where he’s coming from.”

‘Tireless’ is frequently used to describe the kind of no-quit performance Norrie treated Wimbledon to against his Chilean counterpart. In some ways it never quite makes sense; no triumph comes without effort.

Even the fittest feel it, Norrie evidencing as much as he threw himself to the floor at the end of the match, sprawled out across the grass in celebration, exhaustion and some relief. For the last year he had looked a gulf away from tournament contention; now he is gearing up to face the defending champion.

“‘I’ve never fell to the floor in a match, and I think it was just how tough it was to get there,” said Norrie.

“I was playing unreal, knocking on the door in the third set. He played well in the tiebreak, and then tiebreak again he played well. I had to fight through, and I was up a break, and I had break point again to go 5-1.

“Then he was fighting back. It was more just – yeah, even 40-0, I played an unreal point. Man, just come on, shank one out or hit one out. He was there playing, fighting right until the last point.

“It was a nice moment for myself. It feels a little bit better and more deserved coming back from the injury, and coming back and trying to push back into the top of the game. So, yeah, all the hard work and everything, it’s paid off.

“I’ve been a dedicated professional and good team around me. These moments, it’s the icing on the cake. It was a well-deserved fall to the floor I think.”

Norrie will now face Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard neutralised the power of Andrey Rublev to come from a set down on his way to an emphatic 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 win under the Centre Court lights.

“I think it only gets tougher from now. I’ve played a lot of tough matches already. Now it only gets tougher. There are still lots of matches to be played and lots of matches to be won.

“I’m going to play point-for-point as always, and I’m really happy with how I pulled up after the match. My body feels good, and I’m in a good place. I’ve been, like I said, hitting the ball well. Happy to be sure, but a long way away from that.”

Alcaraz, seeking a third straight Wimbledon crown, has beaten Norrie in four of their six career meetings, though it is the Brit who boasts the most recent win in their head-to-head after overcoming the second seed in the final of the Rio Open in 2023.

“Facing Cam is always really, really difficult,” said Alcaraz. “We have really difficult battles already.

“For me facing him is almost a nightmare, to be honest. Really tough from the baseline. I’m not surprised he’s in the quarter-final playing great tennis because I’ve seen him practicing.

“When he lost at Queen’s, he stayed for five days practicing morning, afternoon, and night. I saw him. So I’m not surprised at all seeing his level. So it’s going to be really different.

“He’s playing at home, as well, so he’s going to use the crowd on his side. I have to be really strong mentally and focused to play good tennis if I want to beat him.”

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