AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2026

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/B. Bonzi

6-0, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Cam, how did you turn that match around, two sets to one down?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, for sure. It's nice to be sitting here through into the second round. Yeah, I was just able to get some clarity back and some focus and just enjoy my tennis. Really pleased with how I finished the match. It was a good level in the fifth.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Something a bit tricky about him.

CAMERON NORRIE: He's a tricky player. I started the match on fire. I wasn't giving him anything. He was missing a lot of, well, some balls here and there.

Suddenly he upped his level in the second set. I thought I waited for him to miss a little bit too much rather than to go and take it.

It was tricky conditions. It was very quick. The sun was coming down quite low in that second set. That was also tough.

But he's a really good player. When he's aggressive like that, and feeling nothing to lose, yeah, he was outplaying me for a period in that match.

But I was really happy with how, like I said, I finished the match.

Q. How did you change it in the end?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, there was a lot of things going on. I thought I was not really able to focus my best for a period in the match. I knew the tennis was there. I was all over the place. A lot of points where I should have won, and I was not winning. He came up with a couple good shots. I thought I was stopping in some moments, to be honest.

Yeah, there were a couple breaks that were just a little bit donated from me. I've been playing in the previous weeks very, very solid on my serve. That was interesting to have those dips in concentration.

But to bring it back with the level that I did was really good. But, like you said, he's a tricky player. Some moments you feel if you just put the ball there to the forehand, in some moments he's going to miss. Then he stopped doing this. I had to be proactive and really start looking for my forehand.

I felt when I did that, I was really effective. I was dictating the points. I felt really good physically at the end. I was flying around the court at the end. It was good fun.

Q. Any idea why you had those concentration dips?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, that's a good question.

I think it was a very tricky day. I arrived here at 10 a.m. ready to play maybe 2:30, 3 at the very earliest. All the matches went very long. I felt a little bit like I'd had a long day already and I still had the five sets to play.

Could be this, maybe not. Yeah, I think things can happen. You're not really sure what's the mental challenges going to be. Matches can be physical, can be concentration, can be other things that you're not ready for.

Yeah, I didn't feel like I was in the match as I was, as I would have liked, for a period of time. But I was able to bring that back. That's what I was so pleased with today, I was able to bring that back mentally and go and play the level that I did in the fifth set.

I even had break points to go up a double break. I served well. I was looking for the forehand. I was moving. I was feeling so good. Really accurate with all my shots. I was holding my serve very easily.

To finish with that level, I really want to focus on those things. But I was pleased with how I changed the focus in that period that it was looking difficult.

Q. When you're hanging around today, what were you doing to keep fresh and focused?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I was getting my stuff ready, eating, then watching the matches, then eating again a little bit more. Then went to go warm up. Suddenly stop again. I tried to lie down and just chill for a little bit.

I was just trying to waste time, to be honest. I think talking to my team, maybe you can try to take a nap, do something different. It was a tricky one today not really ready. You have to be ready. Four hours in the first match, three hours something in the second match. Could go any way.

I'm here in the second round. I'm pleased. I'm not trying to make excuses or anything. It's the same for both players.

But definitely some challenges that people were not really aware of. It was nice maybe for the people watching in the UK that all the matches went late and they could wake up and watch the end of my match. Maybe good for them (smiling).

Q. You like taking prematch naps?

CAMERON NORRIE: I'm not very good at taking naps before I play, I would say. But maybe it's something I need to look into.

I've seen Charlie taking naps before. Working pretty well for him. But yeah, could have done with maybe an hour nap today at some point. Yeah, it was a tricky one.

Q. Some players sometimes say they don't like winning a first set 6-Love because your opponent is going to raise their level. How do you feel about that? Were you waiting for him to be the Bonzi that you know?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I think it was 6-Love because I was playing so well. I was so disciplined on returns. I was so accurate with my first ball. Was all happening very quickly.

Yeah, he made a couple unforced errors, but I think, yeah, I didn't really think about that too much. I'll take the 6-Love. I think a little bit he served better, he stopped missing some balls. I think I was going a little bit too much into his backhand in some moments.

I think the biggest thing was I was a bit tentative. I was waiting for him to miss. I had a break point to serve for the second set. I was very, very passive on that moment.

I could have run around and hit a forehand. I hit a really good return. I kind of waited for him, waited for him, and I ended up missing a forehand in the net.

Whereas if I'm proactive, I'm looking for trying to be the one pushing him and not waiting for him to miss, can be a different story. I could win that second set, then maybe win in straight sets and it's a completely different match.

But all credit to him to fight. Was looking ugly, 6-Love down. He fought. He gave me nothing. Not really reacting too much. Then quickly I was two sets to one down, looking difficult.

But I was able to change the momentum, so... It was a battle out there. Definitely an enjoyable one. Great atmosphere, too.

Q. Winning so many matches last year in slams, did it help you in a position like that?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think that's massive. I can take a lot of confidence from that. Actually Facu, my coach, we were warming up. He said, Man, if you look at your Grand Slam results recently, you've only lost to top players, if you're excluding this one in Australia when I was sick. The other ones, naming all top players.

I think I can take a lot of confidence from that. I actually was going into the fifth set today, I was really pumped to be there. I wanted to be there. I didn't really feel any pressure or anything, I need to win this because of that or that. No, I'm so pumped to be in the fifth set. I felt really good physically. I played such a clean, clean set.

I was really happy with that. I think I can take confidence from those other recent deep runs in slams.

Q. Emilio next. Doesn't look like you played before. Do you know him?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I actually went to TCU with his cousin, Eduardo. I think they play very similar. He hits the ball so big. I saw he won in the fifth set before I went on.

He's a really aggressive player. One of the best ball strikers on tour. Young, up-and-coming. His upside of his game is huge. Yeah, he's an exciting player to watch.

I'm going to have to watch some matches to get an idea of how he plays. I know he's a tricky player. I practiced with him once in Washington last year. But I think another match where can be not so much rhythm and big hitting, where I think it can suit his game on these courts. I'm going to have to improve to have a chance to play him.

Thanks, guys, for sticking around (smiling).