Cameron Norrie and Novak Djokovic are set to play each other for the seventh time on the ATP Tour.
The pair, who also contested a Grand Slam match at the 2025 French Open, will face off in the US Open third round.
Norrie, who has been told he should feel ‘encouraged’ ahead of his clash with Djokovic, has defeated Sebastian Korda and Francisco Comesana on his way to the third round. Djokovic, meanwhile, has defeated two American players: Learner Tien and Zachary Svajda.
Djokovic and Norrie last met in the fourth round of the French Open. Djokovic romped to victory, winning 6-2 6-3 6-2, while Norrie was criticised after the match.
After the match, Norrie pinpointed an area of Djokovic’s game he believed had been understated.
Photo by Marleen Fouchier/BSR Agency/Getty ImagesCameron Norrie identified Novak Djokovic’s first serve as an area of strength that ‘no one really talks about’
It is fair to say that Cameron Norrie struggled to make inroads against the might of Novak Djokovic at the French Open.
In fact, Norrie has failed to defeat Djokovic in six attempts on the ATP Tour, dating back to 2021.
Speaking to reporters after their French Open clash, Norrie highlighted Djokovic’s serve as an area of his game that gets overlooked.
Norrie said: “Yeah, for me I think no one really talks about his first serve. For me I’m, like, ‘okay, I want to make the rallies long and try to play my game.’
“Suddenly, he breaks your rhythm serving well. He gets through his service games very quickly, so for me it’s really impressive the way he serves. I think that’s the part that he’s improved in his game a lot.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“I mean, I obviously didn’t play him when he was a little bit younger, but it’s crazy how accurate he is on the serve.
“Yeah, he was making me overplay a few times here and there. Yeah, he’s unbelievable at managing the timing of the match and kind of managing the momentum of the match. It was a good performance from him.
“I was a little bit flat in some moments, and I think that was the difference. But evolution, the guy is not missing. So I don’t see too much evolution, but he’s still not missing tennis balls.”
How did Cameron Norrie fare on Novak Djokovic’s serve at the French Open?
While Norrie was full of praise for Djokovic’s serve after their match, it must be noted that Djokovic did not perform spectacularly on his first serve.
The Serbian star made 60 per cent of his first serves against Norrie, winning 72 per cent of those points.
Djokovic also only won 47 per cent of his second serve points.
However, Norrie’s argument holds greater weight when considering the total amount of service points won throughout the match.
Djokovic won 56 service points compared to Norrie’s 30, suggesting he made the most of his opportunities when landing a first serve.
Norrie will have to find a way of combating the Djokovic serve when they play each other at the US Open if he hopes to break his duck against the Serb.