Norrie retires injured at Grand Slam for first time

Image source, Reuters

• Published26 May 2026, 15:05 BST

Cameron Norrie suffered heartbreak at the French Open as he was forced to retire injured from his first-round match - the first time he has done so at a Grand Slam.

The British number one sustained a rib injury in the build-up to Roland Garros after he "overdid it with the preparation".

Norrie took the court on a sweltering Tuesday afternoon in Paris and kept in touch with Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo for much of the first set.

However, the 30-year-old struggled to move after missing four set points in a tight tie-break and going a break down at the start of the second.

Norrie called for the doctor and the trainer after losing his serve, pointing at his rib as he sat in the shade.

He told his team "every serve is a struggle" but still opted to see out the next game.

But Norrie could barely push up off the ground to serve and approached the net when trailing 7-6 (9-7) 2-0.

Norrie retired at a Futures event in 2014 - the lowest rung of professional tennis - but had previously never retired at a Grand Slam or ATP Tour tournament.

It is a blow to Norrie, having reached the fourth round last year, but it is also the safest option with Wimbledon beginning in just over four weeks.

The retirement leaves Jacob Fearnley as the only remaining Briton in the men's singles, with Jack Draper missing the clay-court major with injury.

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Playing 'in Norrie's DNA - he can't leave it alone'

Norrie's fitness and stamina have been among his biggest assets during his career - as well as his desire to play as much tennis as possible.

However, after playing in the back-to-back Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome across April and May, Norrie opted to go to the Geneva Open in the week leading in to Roland Garros.

He lost his opening match to Argentina's Mario Navone on Wednesday and said afterwards he "probably should have retired" from it.

"I overdid it with the preparation and not listening to my body and my mind," he told BBC Sport on Saturday.

"I kept pushing because I had never retired before in a match in my career, so I wasn't sure what to do."

That run is now over, but former British number one Annabel Croft believes Norrie made the right choice.

"It's far better not to exacerbate the injury problem and get back to the UK, have rest and treatment on it, and then start building up to Queen's Club and Wimbledon," she said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

"We've heard from [Novak] Djokovic that his body doesn't respond as well as it used to and into his thirties it was getting more difficult for his body to respond.

"This sport is so demanding and I can see why Norrie would have overtrained."

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller added: "It is in Norrie's DNA - he just can't really leave it alone.

"That is what's made him the player he is today. He loves being out there."

Norrie was the last British singles player standing at 14 Grand Slams over the past five years, including the Australian Open in January.

Fearnley begins his French Open campaign later on Tuesday, while Katie Boulter and Francesca Jones have reached the second round in the women's singles.

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