Cameron Norrie Battles Illness for Madrid Open Victory

Madrid, Spain – Britain’s Cameron Norrie triumphed in the first round of the Madrid Open, overcoming illness to secure a hard-fought victory against Spanish player Martin Landaluce. The match took place on April 24, 2025, where Norrie emerged with a score of 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-4.

Norrie, a former British number one, has experienced a significant dip in form, currently ranking 91st in the world. This victory marks his first ATP main-draw win since early March. Early in the match, Norrie struggled, losing five consecutive games after starting the first set with a 3-0 lead. Displaying resilience, he fought back to win the second set, saving a match point along the way.

“It’s maybe one of my favourite wins,” Norrie said during a post-match interview on Sky Sports. “I was feeling absolutely terrible, I wasn’t sure I was going to play. I had no energy and didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Despite feeling fatigued, Norrie found the strength to push through, stating, “I started very low energy, sleeping on the court still. I had to create my own energy. He actually played really well, I know he’s a really good player, so I had to fight every point.”

In the next round, Norrie will face 26th seed Jiri Lehecka from the Czech Republic. His victory was part of a successful day for British tennis, as Jacob Fearnley, ranked second in Britain, also advanced by defeating China’s Yunchaokete Bu, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).

Looking ahead, Norrie expressed hopes for a speedy recovery from his illness. He remarked, “It’s terrible timing but at least I have another day tomorrow to rest. Hopefully it will pass pretty quickly.”