Cameron Norrie expressed significant anxiety as he prepared to be the first player on court at 11:00 AM local time. With a challenging opponent ranked in the ATP top 20 just a year prior and a history of losing three out of their four previous matches, he felt the pressure to fuel up before the encounter.
However, the 30-year-old quickly found his rhythm and was ahead 7-5, 6-4 when American player Sebastian Korda, 25, opted to retire early from the match.
Korda had just returned to competition after a nearly three-month hiatus due to a shin stress fracture. At the start of the second set, he called for a medical timeout, seemingly troubled by an abdominal issue.
Although Korda fought through the rest of the set, he ultimately decided not to continue, allowing Norrie to advance to face either Argentina’s Francisco Comesana or Alex Michelsen from the U.S.
Norrie, who withdrew from the 2024 US Open due to an arm injury, made his debut at the prestigious Flushing Meadows tournament in 2017 but still felt the familiar butterflies in his stomach during matches in New York.
“I was really anxious going into this match,” Norrie admitted. “Waking up for a Grand Slam match at 11 AM and trying to eat rice at 10 AM is quite the challenge!”
Reflecting on Korda’s retirement, he said, “I feel for Sebastian. He’s been out all summer, and he’s an incredible talent who has beaten me in our last encounters. It’s tough to see him end up like this.”