London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Britain has a new tennis star: Meet Cameron Norrie

Britain has a new tennis star: Meet Cameron Norrie

It's been quite the few months for British tennis -- you've met Emma Raducanu, now get ready for Cameron Norrie.

The 26-year-old became Britain's first ever Indian Wells champion with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili in California, coming back from a set and a break down.

Victory marks the stunning high of an incredible season for Norrie -- who was ranked 74th in the world at the beginning of the year. Today, he wakes up ranked 15th in the world and number one in Britain.

"It means so much to me, my biggest title. I'm so happy, I can't even describe it right now," Norrie said during his on-court interview after the match.

"It's absolutely massive for me and my team. I can't really believe it."

His sixth final this year -- a record matched only by world number one Novak Djokovic -- victory in Indian Wells marks a second career title in three months for Norrie, who won at Los Cabos in Mexico in July.

Victory in Mexico had come just weeks after an impressive Wimbledon appearance against Roger Federer -- Norrie providing a stern test for the eight-time champion in a 4-6, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6 round of 32 defeat.

Norrie had already made history before a ball was struck in the Indian Wells final, having become the first British player to reach an elite Masters 1000 event since Andy Murray's victory in Paris in 2016.

"I've been really enjoying my tennis and really been enjoying being out on court and competing in the big moments," Norrie said.

"I'm just really pleased with how I handled the occasion, and I think I'm doing that a lot better this year. I know I lost in a lot of finals so it's nice to get the big one today."

Fightback


The Briton was forced to battle back from a set down following a strong start from Basilashvili, ranked 27th in the world.

Serving for a 3-1 lead in the second set, the 29-year-old Georgian looked set to take command, but Norrie broke his serve and never looked back to level the match and roar through the third set to take victory.

Norrie hits a shot en route to defeating Georgia's Basilashvili.


"I was a little bit uncomfortable [early on]," Norrie admitted.

"It was quite windy. For a stage, he went through and hit so many winners. It was tough for me to get some confidence. The rallies were really short and he was just blasting winners.

"But when I made a couple of big shots ... in the second set, it gave me a lot of confidence, and I was able to find my feet again, start moving again and make the rallies physical like I've been doing all tournament and it worked in my favor."

Norrie's spectacular rise continues a fantastic few months for British tennis, following on from teenage sensation Raducanu's stunning US Open victory in September.

The 18-year-old became the first British woman to win a major since Virginia Wade in 1977 with her victory over Canada's Leylah Fernandez at Flushing Meadows, rocketing her status and sparking talk of the Brit becoming sports' first billion dollar woman.

She has since fallen a little closer to earth however, losing in her first outing since that US Open triumph in the second round of Indian Wells earlier this month.

"Going into the match, I didn't put any pressure on myself because in my mind I am so inexperienced," Raducanu told reporters after the match.

"I am 18 years old. I need to cut myself some slack."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×