Cameron Norrie retires midway through French Open first-round match with Wimbledon in mind
Cameron Norrie retired injured from the first round of the French Open to protect his rib ahead of Wimbledon.
Cameron Norrie retired injured from the first round of the French Open to protect his rib ahead of Wimbledon.
With the score 7-6, 2-0, 40-15 and after one hour and 18 minutes of his match against Adolfo Vallejo, Norrie retired at a grand slam for the first time in his career.
The 30-year-old did not leave the court after the first set, but before the second set began he was seen having a long conversation with his team, telling them: “Every serve is a struggle,” before consulting the doctor and withdrawing.
“It was a tough feeling right now, not being able to prepare properly and it just started to bother me on every shot,” Norrie said.
“I have never retired in my [professional] life before, so it was very strange for me, but I guess [it’s] part of being an athlete.”
It was a problem that was first aggravated in training, when Norrie and Ben Shelton played out a five-set practice match lasting almost five hours at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
Instead of blaming that decision, Norrie believes he should have given himself more time rather than rushing to play in Geneva, where he exited in the first round, to prepare for the French Open.
“Maybe I could get through the match today, but then at what cost?” Norrie said.
“For me, I’m not that interested in making third round, I’m trying to go fourth round, quarters, semis for the first time. So it was tough for me in the first round but that’s why I took that decision today.”
Because of his rib injury, Norrie was unable to train until the day before his match and was forced to rest. He resorted to playing card games with his team, wagering coffees instead of money.
Norrie decided to withdraw, despite claiming that even playing at “20 per cent” he was able to compete with Vallejo, to limit the potential long-term implications of the rib injury and will have scans in London in the coming days.
“I think I’ll be good for Queen’s,” Norrie said. “That will be my goal and I’m really excited to go play.
“I was not really mentally [ready] to play with this pain, so I need to go relax and get ready for Queen’s because it’s one of my favourite tournaments.”
Later in the day, Jacob Fearnley lost in straight sets to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, meaning no British man will feature in the second round.
Fearnley has not had an easy 2026, struggling to back up an incredible breakthrough year having broken into the world’s top 50 while attending the Texas Christian University. He has dropped outside the top 100 but here he played some well-worked points against the clay-court specialist. Mistakes at key moments, though, proved his undoing in the 6-2, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (9-7) defeat.
“The conditions it was hot and you know I haven’t played in conditions like that in a long time, and I felt it for sure, it was a tough day,” Fearnley said.
He is another British player to have struggled with a rib injury, which has affected his clay-court season and preparation for the French Open, and he came to Paris short of momentum.
Fearnley could receive a wildcard for Wimbledon as his first-round exit means he will fall further than his current ranking of 125. He has already entered a range of tournaments in the grass season, including Challenger events (the ATP’s second tier).
“I hope I get a wildcard, but it’s not the end of the world for me,” he said. “I am a big believer in that I want to earn it and if they think that I need to prove myself a little bit more then that’s fine as well.”
[Source: Daily Telegraph]
