Cameron Norrie admitted he may have been guilty of being 'a little too overconfident' as his US Open run was ended by Novak Djokovic, despite briefly threatening to turn the match in his favour.
The British veteran pushed the 24-time Grand Slam champion harder than the scoreline suggests but still fell to a 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-3 defeat in New York.
The result means Norrie has now lost all seven of his encounters with Djokovic, whose blend of grit and quality once again proved too much.
Norrie, 30, looked to have found a breakthrough when he broke serve at the start of the third set to take the lead for the first time in the contest.
Cameron Norrie was pleased with his display despite losing to Novak Djokovic at the US Open
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But the opportunity slipped away almost as quickly as it came. Djokovic hit back immediately and from there took control of the match, extending his stay at Flushing Meadows while ending British singles hopes at the final major of the season.
“I started great in the third set but [was] maybe a little overconfident after breaking,” Norrie told BBC Sport afterwards.
“He settled into the match after that, competed well and was just too good in the end.”
Djokovic, 38, had not looked entirely comfortable early on.
He grimaced during the opening set and called for a medical timeout for a back issue, later receiving further treatment at the start of the second.
But while visibly hampered at times, the four-time US Open champion responded with typical resilience, digging in to outlast the Brit across nearly three hours of play.
“Coming into the match, you want to win in straight sets without any drama – but that’s not possible,” Djokovic joked in his post-match interview.
“My team wants me to suffer on the court so I can spend more minutes there. Looking from that perspective it is good.”
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Novak Djokovic speaks to Cam Norrie at the net following his win at the US Open | REUTERSThe Serbian is chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, one clear of Margaret Court’s all-time tally, and produced arguably his sharpest tennis of the tournament so far.
After patchy opening wins over teenager Learner Tien and American qualifier Zachary Svajda, his level against Norrie was closer to what fans have come to expect.
On his fitness concerns, Djokovic gave little away.
“You have some ups and downs but you don’t want to reveal too much to your rivals,” he said with a smile. “I’m as young and as strong as ever.”
For Norrie, the defeat still represented progress.
In 2024, he exited the Miami Open in round one and flirted with dropping out of the world’s top 100 while struggling with a forearm injury.
A candid meeting with his team led to a renewed approach, with an emphasis on rediscovering enjoyment on tour.
The shift has paid off: Norrie reached the last 16 at Roland Garros and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, restoring confidence and consistency.
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Novak Djokovic is hunting a record 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open this summer
|REUTERS
Reflecting on his campaign in New York, he insisted there was little reason to dwell on the latest defeat to Djokovic. “It has been fun – I wouldn’t change anything in this tournament,” he said.
“There is so much to smile about.”