US OPEN

September 1, 2022

Cameron Norrie

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/J. Sousa

6-4, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Straight sets. Your thoughts on the win.

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I thought I didn't start that well. I was pretty nervous in the match, pretty tight. Managed to play good in the big points throughout the whole match. Felt like at the end of the sets I really raised my level.

But for whatever reason, I was, yeah, just nervous, pretty slow with my feet the beginning of kind of the sets.

But, yeah, happy to be through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you were nervous. Was there any particular reason?

CAMERON NORRIE: Honestly, no. I don't think other than the fact that I really wanted to win. I don't know. I think I was just not really moving my feet. For me, it was pretty obvious the game plan, you know, try to pin him to the backhand side and try to approach to the backhand when I could.

I don't think I came forward enough. I wasn't really using my forehand aggressively like I should have been. But it helped that I served very well, hit my backhand very accurately.

Like I said, I played very good in the big moments. Felt really good physically, moving well. Towards the end of the sets I was making it more and more physical, finding better depth on my forehand.

I don't know. It was just one of those days where I was just a little bit tight, and my energy the beginning of the sets was a little bit low. I felt like it was, I don't know, not as quick, moving as quick as I wanted to.

Yeah, that's the beauty of kind of best-of-five sets. I started feeling better and better towards the end of the match. He raised his level in that third set.

I was feeling good and really finding my level towards the end.

Q. On your Instagram you refer to yourself as Sponge Bob. Just elaborate, please.

CAMERON NORRIE: Just the yellow K-Swiss gave me. Actually, one friend texted me, saying, Well done, Sponge Bob. Then I stole that.

Yeah, I think it's tough to look good in the yellow, but I'm doing my best (smiling).

Q. Have you seen the cartoon before?

CAMERON NORRIE: I watched it a lot.

Q. Are you a fan of it?

CAMERON NORRIE: I haven't watched it in a while. I used to be a fan of it.

Q. Had you ever worn that before?

CAMERON NORRIE: This is the first time in a while, I think. Wouldn't be my choice of colors. I like the shorts. I think the shorts look good, yeah.

Q. What is your best color, in case they're listening?

CAMERON NORRIE: I think my favorite color is, like, red, maroon. They've not really done a maroon in a while. I think I could look better in that than the yellow, for sure.

Q. Wearing that same outfit for the third round?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, I have to.

Q. What is the agreement you have with your sponsors?

CAMERON NORRIE: I'm going to be wearing the same one.

Q. Back to the tennis a little bit.

CAMERON NORRIE: Sponge Bob keep rolling (smiling).

Q. What do you think about the next match?

CAMERON NORRIE: I played him obviously in Cincinnati. I played him on the clay. He's just a very competitive kid. Yeah, just watching him practice, seeing his determination, seeing his level of focus, he really wants to be a top player. He's out there training and putting in the hours. He's very talented.

Yeah, every time I've played him, I think it's been a battle. I think he really wants to beat me. I beat him the last two times in tight matches.

For me, he competes very, very well. I'm going to have to improve and not going to have the chance to be a little bit nervous and a little bit tight. I think it's completely normal.

Expecting a battle. He's going to be fresh. He didn't play obviously with John having the injury. Yeah, so he's going to be fresh and ready to go.

Yeah, looking forward to tomorrow to improve on a few things. Going to be ready for an absolute war with Holger.

Q. In general, volleying, net play, how has that developed in your career? When you were younger, a junior, did you come to the net much?

CAMERON NORRIE: I didn't come to net too much, no. I feel like my volleys and my feel has improved a lot. I think when I play guys, it's a good tactic to come forward, I feel comfortable doing it, I can commit to doing it. Think my backhand approach is pretty tough to pass off with it being pretty low. I tend to find a pretty good angle on the forehand.

For the most part I'm coming forward just to angle the volley off, not kind of Tim Henman'ing digging volleys off.

I think they're improved. Kind of like Rafa, just to come and hit the last one, hit it short, just finish it off. I felt like in Wimbledon this year I really volleyed very well. My percentage of points won at net must have been quite high.

Q. (No microphone.)

CAMERON NORRIE: I think just playing a lot, playing a lot at net, hitting a lot of volleys, playing doubles, enjoying it.

Yeah, I think just practice and playing guys that put the ball in awkward situations that make you use your hand skills to dig out of that.

Yeah, I felt like over the years it's improved.

Q. Your reaction to four British men in the third round. First time for nearly a hundred years, I think. Does it help having other Brits around doing well? A positive vibe?

CAMERON NORRIE: Definitely. I think it's very cool to have three of us through, and especially I think all of us all supporting each other. It's great.

We got Davis Cup coming up. We've got a very strong team, obviously in-form team, all playing well, singles and doubles.

I think for me it's cool to see Jack. I knew he had the level and I knew he had the tennis and the talent to do it. I've been practicing with him a lot the last two years.

Obviously James Trotman, his coach, helps me a little bit, too. We always have the best practices. We always have such a high level.

For me it was great to see him putting that level on the practice court into the matches, just chopping guys. He had a tough, tough draw. Ruusuvuori, Felix. He won in straight sets both. Really good to see him kind of progressing.

Then obviously Andy and Evo, two great competitors, really good to see those guys get through.

I don't see why not we can't keep going.

Q. Are you into historical stats and achievements? Do you take note of them?

CAMERON NORRIE: I like the stats, but I'm not like following. This maybe could be the first time that four Brits are doing this. I think it's very cool and I like that.

I think on the back of it, there's a whole group of guys kind of coming through, kind of younger than Jack, Jack's age, that have a lot of potential as well.

It's not just us guys. There's guys just at the level just below. There's going to be a lot of other names coming up, as well.

Q. Before Wimbledon we kept asking you if you could make the second week of a slam. You did it there. You have another chance to do it. Do you feel you can make a deep run again at a slam?

CAMERON NORRIE: Yeah, for me, I don't see a reason why not. I feel like I'm physically good. I've played a lot of matches in the hard court series. I'm really enjoying my tennis.

I feel like I've got a lot of improvements to make in this week. I'm feeling good. Yeah, it only gets tougher, you know? Obviously Holger is my next opponent and I'm going to have to improve everything to do that.

It was nice to tick the box and making the second week for the first time at Wimby. That gives me a lot of confidence. Kind of doing that, making that run, playing my best tennis in those big matches, those big moments, that was a big goal for me this year, to play well at slams.

Yeah, I'd like to obviously keep going.