THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 30, 2025

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/R. Bautista

6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Cam, give us your quick thoughts on the match.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it was a really, really tough match. It was a tough draw for me. Bautista has been winning a lot. It was tough conditions and very hot, and I had to survive out there, and I did that. I felt really good towards the end, which is nice and a positive way to get the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. On the win, the atmosphere on Court 18 was pretty electric at the end. Can you talk about how that kind of carried you a little bit maybe at the end?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, at the beginning of the match, I was playing so well, and there was nothing happening, and everyone was still kind of pretty quiet.

Yeah, I think they got more and more into it as the match went on. Obviously I gave them some more stuff to cheer about. I actually prefer that. On Court 18 it was absolutely full, people watching on the balconies. I was just thinking, it's absolutely boiling here in Wimbledon, everyone is here supporting. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

I had to really talk myself into the match. I wasn't feeling good with the heat. It was a bit of a shock to the system, but I was kind of thinking it's probably the same for him. Thought he stopped running for a couple balls at the end, and that was the difference.

I played an amazing tiebreak, which I've been doing recently, playing amazing tiebreaks. It was nice to get that one.

Q. Coming into this tournament, obviously you've come to Wimbledon as the British No. 1 so many times. You've had a big spotlight on you. Does it feel a bit like you're coming a bit more under the radar? Do you feel a difference in your preparations?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think with my preparation, I did everything I could to get ready for this tournament. It would have been nice to play some more matches, but typically I don't do too well in those lead-up tournaments.

I really love the grass here. I love the tournament. No, I don't feel any different. I always feel really comfortable here at Wimbledon. Like I said, the courts suit my game well, the balls on my forehand getting up. I was here to enjoy it, and it's another Wimbledon to play.

I wanted to enjoy like a kid playing Wimbledon again. I was not thinking I was British No. 1 or British No. 2. I was there to play and enjoy the match.

I've been playing well, feeling the ball good. I've done everything I could. It was time to just compete. There was no better guy to compete against than Roberto. He's one of the toughest guys to compete against, so I really had to earn the win today and earn the competitive certificate against him. He's got that one.

Q. How did the heat affect you? How do you deal with it?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, really my team had a good plan with the heat. Obviously just try to drink as much as I could. It was really key to keep the bottles cold because the Evian bottles, they do not keep the water cold. I had to bring like a little thermal thing to keep the bottles in. A few times I was asked to fill up the water, and it was kind of warm water. It was quite tough for me to really stay cool on the court.

They did a really good job with the ice towels. That was amazing, but it was tough. I had to come really prepared, really organized in this hot weather to make sure that the water and everything else keeping was cold.

I'm a guy that sweats a lot. I was definitely feeling the heat today. It was a bit of a shock to the system with that, but I did everything I could with the resources I had to do my best with the hydration and everything.

Yeah, it was not easy.

Q. Would you prefer if there was extra allowances made with heat like that, extra breaks? Would that help?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, it's a big difference going from playing ATP events to slams. There's less time between the change of ends. You just have to get used to that.

I think I was probably not using the ice towels enough. I probably should have done that a little bit more in the first set. I think the tournament has done a great job to do that and have the ice towels there and have the water. I'd like to obviously have some more ice for the water, but that's my preference.

But yeah, it's definitely a factor, the heat today. Yeah, it was a bit of a shock to the system. But I got through it, and I felt better and better as the match went on, which is nice.

Q. When you face Frances Tiafoe, what is usually the key? What are your thoughts about playing against him?

CAMERON NORRIE: I've not played Frances for a while. He's an amazing player, so talented. He really, really likes the grass. He had an amazing run in the French Open, so he's probably as confident as he can be right now.

Yeah, we kind of came up the rankings together. We played on all different levels. We've seen each other around a lot. We know each other quite well.

Yeah, he's a really tricky player. He's got a huge serve and a really solid game. He loves the little kind of dropshots and the volleys. Loves those points. I think these one of the most talented players with those points. You kind of have to be ready for anything.

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to playing him here. I've not played him in a big match in a while, so I think he's looking forward to playing me, as well. I'm really excited for that one and got tomorrow to prepare as well.

Q. Coming up against Roberto, do you like coming into a tournament and having a really tough opening round? Does it give you momentum?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think, yeah, it's nice to get through. It's not nice if you go out first round (smiling).

Yeah, I saw the draw, and obviously it could have been worse. I thought it was a tough draw. For me, I knew I was going to play points, I was going to play rallies. I was not going to get hit off the court. I was not going to get served off the court. For me, it was a match I was going to feel good in and have rhythm.

I had to be tough. I was able to play well in the right moments. That was tennis today. I was able to do that. I felt like for a lot of the match actually he was the better player than me. I managed to steal that third set and play an amazing tiebreak in the end and break at that 5-4 game to win the match.

I feel really good about getting through that match, especially not having some wins in the lead-up tournaments. I feel kind of set in the tournament. I feel good about today. Obviously there was ups and downs, but I can take a lot of positives. It was a lot of fun to play against Roberto today.

Q. Would you like to be on a bigger court, get the Brits behind you in the next round?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I'm sure I'll be on a bigger court. Court 18 was so good, so much fun. I'd not played a singles match on that court before, so I was happy with that.

Yeah, I would love to play. Hopefully I'll be on Court 1. That's my favorite court here, so I would like to push for that. But if not, I'll take any court here. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the match.

Q. Does the British crowd make that extra difference?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think you have to use it. You don't have that too often. You see people enjoying the tennis, getting behind you. Yeah, it's a little bit different than the other slams. I enjoy it.

You see people, they come here to enjoy the tennis and to get behind a player. I like to kind of feed off their energy. I use my team, but it's also nice to kind of pick some random guys in the crowd loving the match, coming to really get competitive and supporting me. I love that. Hopefully I can have that again on Wednesday.

Q. Some of the other players have criticized the AI line calling. One of the them earlier said it was a little bit quiet, late, confusing between the different courts. How did you find it today?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, for me it was actually okay. I was lucky enough to play on like an isolated court on Court 18, so I was not hearing it.

I think at the beginning I thought it could be a bit quiet, but then it never made any difference, and I was able to hear what was being called and what was not. There was no bad calls or nothing happened like that, I don't think.

To be honest, it's good. You get on with it. There's no kind of getting mad at anyone for missing a call or saying something or moving during the point or something happening. You get on with it, and that's what it is.

Yeah, I've not had any problems with it in the past.

Q. Do you miss the in-person line judges?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it looks cool with the people there. It looks traditional with that. Obviously there's a lot of jobs and people that love tennis, which will definitely be missed from them.

But as a player, like I said, it's pretty black or white with the calls. In, out, and you hear it. There's no mistake, nothing happening. Definitely you've got to feel for those linesmen and those people that are traveling, and they love their tennis just as much as I love tennis. That's a bit tough for them, but it's pretty black or white with the calling.