Cam Norrie reflects on what could have been a very difficult moment for him at the ASB Classic.
After beginning his season at the Hong Kong Open where he reached the quarter-finals, the 29-year-old travelled to New Zealand where he continued his preparations for the Australian Open.
But Norrie’s stay in Auckland was a short one as his campaign came to an end at the hands of lucky loser Facundo Díaz Acosta.
But the Brit was very fortunate to even complete the match after throwing his racket, which almost had significant ramifications.
Cam Norrie issues apology after coming close to being defaulted at the ASB Classic
Cam Norrie was not enjoying his time on court against Acosta, as he found himself down 2-6, 3-5.
After missing a forehand to give the Argentinian match point, Norrie’s frustrations boiled over and he threw his racket into the crowd, which hit a spectator.
Fortunately for the World number 48, there was little force and very light contact, and she did not suffer an injury. Therefore, he only received a warning from the chair umpire.
“I was missing the ball a lot. I’m disappointed in my attitude,” Norrie told reporters afterwards. “I couldn’t find the ball at all. I apologised to the woman and she was okay.
“It barely touched her and she was laughing. She said that she was completely okay and she was enjoying her champagne, but I didn’t mean to do that and it was definitely a wake-up call.”
“It was not a big deal but as you have seen with some other players you can easily be defaulted if it catches them in the wrong spot or they are not looking.”
Cam Norrie heads into the Australian Open following crushing defeat
Norrie began the 2025 season with wins over teenager Learner Tien and Lorenzo Sonego in Hong Kong, before losing to Kei Nishikori in three sets.
His latest loss to Acosta in Auckland is a setback ahead of competing at the Australian Open, an event where he reached the fourth round in 2024, his best result.
Post-match Norrie credited his opponent for his performance and once again referenced throwing his racket. “It was not the best of matches,” he said.
“I was not feeling comfortable or feeling the ball. But credit to him, he was very solid and I was disappointed. I was throwing my racket around, not like me at all.
“I wanted to apologise to the woman, make sure she was okay. But not me to do something like that and not meaning to do it.”
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