ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2025

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/D. Medvedev

7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Cam, congratulations. A tough match. How did you win that? What did you tell yourself in that fifth set?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was a really tough match. Yeah, I was just trying to play every point, and every point was difficult. There's no easy way to win each point against Daniil. Somehow managed to come our way in the end.

I used the momentum to my advantage. Like I told you guys before, I had to run for four hours to have a chance. I was able to do that. Pretty fortunate to go my way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The moment at the end when you hurled your racquet into the sky, talk about the release of emotions that was. Also, was there a moment when you were worried you might get defaulted after all that?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was a tough point. I don't actually remember what happened. No, I knew it was just nice release of energy. I think it was a good throw. I threw it pretty well, pretty accurate (smiling). Yeah, I was happy it stayed on the court. Racquet wasn't broken. Yeah, it was just kind of instinct. Threw it.

Yeah, it was, like I said, playing Daniil is not easy. I've lost to him I think the last four, maybe five times at least. It was always going to be a tricky match for me.

I was really happy with how I handled the match and how I had to fight literally every point to have a chance with him. It was just pure emotion at the end and pure instinct. It was a good throw (smiling).

Q. We've had four Brits through to the second round. We could have five, six. If we get into that territory, some of the best results we've had in 40 years almost. Talk about how impressive is that if you have a number of people in the second round. Quite a contrast to last year.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah. Look, everyone's looking good, Jack especially. His consistency and his tennis level is so impressive. Yeah, it's nice to see him playing well.

Jake, as well. Who knows how high he can go with his tennis. I really like his game. He's so focused. He hits the ball big off both sides. Doesn't have any weaknesses.

On the men's side, us three, we're playing well. It's nice to have those boys pushing me.

On the women's side, Katie had a title on the clay. She won yesterday. Emma won yesterday, too. I'm not sure how the others did. They're playing now. Nice to have everyone playing well on the clay, especially before the grass season.

Everyone is confident and playing well. I think especially on the men's side, it's looking very good. A lot of depth even just behind me, as well.

Q. Not had the easiest time recently with the fitness. The way you performed last week and today, does it make it all worthwhile to show what you can do out there?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it just comes back to how much I've been enjoying it. Last week and the weeks before that, the whole clay season, I'm just really enjoying all of it on the court, off the court.

Not trying to put any expectation on the match day or the performances. Just playing with what I got that day and making it tough for the other guy, enjoying all the moments. I did that again today. I could have lost the match. But somehow it went my way.

Yeah, I think it was really helpful to play Novak last week in the semis. I felt it was just a continuation of that match today. It was like playing the fourth set against Novak in the first set against Daniil. I really felt prepared. I had the matches, like I said. It was maybe tougher today than it was with Novak in terms of the rallies. He would give me absolutely nothing.

It was a lot of fun. Like I said, I prepared well. Yeah, managed to go my way. You can take the confidence from last week, qualifying and playing four, five really good matches back to back. I managed to do it again.

Q. You've had a lot of great wins in your career. How would you rate that today?

CAMERON NORRIE: For me, top three I think in terms of pure matchups. I think I have an absolutely terrible matchup against Daniil in terms of the way we play, the game style.

Yeah, he's so tough to play, for me anyway. He absolutely gives you nothing. There's no easy way to win points against him.

Yeah, especially in a slam, obviously I know he doesn't like clay as much, but he's won a Masters 1000 on the clay. I lost to him two weeks ago. He completely chopped me in Rome.

For me, outside of Alcaraz and Sinner, Novak, would be probably the fourth toughest draw for me in terms of matchups and players. Extremely good win, especially my record with him. Yeah, what's his ranking, 12 or 11 in the world? In a slam, best-of-five, beating him in five sets is impressive for me.

I can take a lot of confidence to play for close to four hours with him. Yeah, didn't drop the intensity as much as I thought. In the fourth set, a little bit there. That was the difference between us. Managed to sneak the fifth, so we'll take it.

Q. Given how the match went, shifted really quickly, down a break early in the fifth, how did you manage to continue enjoying it? What were you telling yourself to stay in the match?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was extremely high level, the first three sets. I did nothing wrong in the third set. Yeah, I think I just dropped the intensity. Playing with Daniil for two-and-a-half hours was tough. He managed to play well and gave me nothing in that fourth set.

In the fifth set, I said that we've got one more set. I gave it everything. Yeah, I thought actually that the really big turning point was the 5-4 first point. Kind of weird point. I came in. He lobbed me. He went for a strange dropshot. That point after that, I could feel him a little bit tentative there. It was the first kind of strange error he made or strange decision he made in, like, an hour and a half. I said, Well, okay, maybe I have a chance here.

Actually the matches in Geneva, I think people served for the set three times, and I managed break three times. I kind of felt I've been in that situation already. It was automatic for me playing matches. I think I can take that. That was the difference.

Last year I came here and tried to rest. I didn't have any matches. It was a tough, tough match against Kotov. It's a completely different preparation. I think it suited me better to have the matches and the confidence. It showed in the end.

Q. What's it like being on the other side of the net when you see your opponent getting increasingly frustrated, chatting to the coach's box, shouting? Do you think you have them in the moment or it's part of the sport and you block it out? Do you pay any attention to that at all?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, definitely. Actually every time I played Daniil, he's never, never snapped. He's never said anything. He's just completely locked in and he chops me every time.

It was quite nice in the first set to see him kind of a little bit freaking out and talking to his box and trying to look for answers and solutions.

I felt I was winning a lot of the longer rallies. Against him it's not easy to do. I thought I was troubling him with my game style and the way I was making it physical.

Yeah, you take a small little confidence boost from that. He's ready for the next point and he's a great competitor. He's honestly one of my favorite players. The way he plays, the way he moves, the way he makes it so difficult for the other player, I love watching him play. Yeah, he's a good player. He's a very nice guy. Yeah, he's one of the kings of competitiveness. No, just nice to beat him.

Q. Can you describe mentally what it's like when you're sliding down the rankings and getting closer to dropping out of the top 100, the uncertainty that creates, not get into tournaments? A few years ago you were ranked 8 in the world, you had no worries. Suddenly you have to start thinking about that.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it's part of the game. For me, yeah, you have to accept where you are. For me, I had to go play quallies last week in Geneva. I was so pumped to play, so pumped to prove myself again.

It's actually quite fun to have that opportunity now to go. You're the underdog again, finally. You can go and play. Anyone you play, you're most likely underdog. You can go play, no expectations. It's so much fun. You can go and play. It's a completely different perspective.

Obviously you fight for trying to be in the top 10, try to stay there. Yeah, it was difficult for me to try to get a lot of momentum last year with some injuries.

It's part of the game. I didn't really have any major injuries. Yeah, like I said the other day, I was really pushing the beginning of the year to play well, to play well, to play well. It was not coming.

The moment you kind of accept where you are, and I was accepting where I am in terms of my ranking and my actual level, because the ranking is not really lying too much. Yeah, I accepted it. Now it's fun again and nice to be the underdog in almost every match that I play nowadays.

It's a different outlook, but I'm still enjoying my tennis a lot. I'm still getting to play the best tournaments in the world, so it's perfect for me.

Q. You won't be the underdog next, Federico Gomez. The fact you have an Argentinian coach, do you speak Spanish? Do you think that might help, you understanding what he's saying to his coach?

CAMERON NORRIE: My Spanish is improving (smiling).

No, he's a great player. Fedi Gomez, I practiced with him a couple times in Florida. Massive forehand. Massive serve. I know on his day, he's very tough to beat.

Yeah, he must be playing well to beat Kovacevic on the clay. It's a huge win. Obviously I didn't watch any of the match. For me, nothing changes. Could be playing Daniil or Fedi Gomez.

Bring the same level, same mindset. Different challenge. Can be completely different weather on Thursday. So for me, I'm going to enjoy the win and get ready for that win. Just so happy to be in the draw competing.

It's good preparation. To play Daniil five sets, I feel like I won't have to try to find some rhythm. Tomorrow I think I'll be feeling the ball quite well on the practice court.

I want to go enjoy tonight and, yeah, get ready for that one, another big match.

Q. Seems like you've done a really good job of staying positive over the ups and downs of the last couple years. Is there a moment that was particularly tough that maybe a great day like this can make you look back and reflect?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it just comes down to enjoying the sport. I talked the other day about after Miami I really took a lot of time to reflect on how I was doing with some of the goals that I had. I really took a time for myself to analyze my career, analyze what's going on.

I think it was just more too much expectation. I think now I'm just enjoying the tennis. Yeah, it's positive. Just want to be who I am and react how I want to act and be myself. I think that's the most important part about playing tennis or doing anything.

For me, yeah, there's always going to be tough moments. For me, I'm still lucky to be playing tennis, competing at this level. I think, yeah, saw an interview from Darren Cahill. He said you don't take it for granted coming out there to compete and play these matches.

I think one time you're going to look back and you're going to miss all the tough moments and how nervous you are before matches and stuff.

I think it's quite nice to have those feelings before the match, during the match. It's a lot of uncertainty. It's what I really like. So I think I'm embracing it. There's always going to be tough moments, but I'm still happy to be playing.

Yeah, it was a lot of fun today, so it was a good moment for me.