Norrie anticipating Alcaraz check: 'I'm going to take it to him'

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Norrie anticipating Alcaraz check: ‘I’ll take it to him’

Briton previews second-round conflict with high seed Alcaraz in Paris

October 27, 2025

Cameron Norrie is trying to finish his season on a excessive for the second straight 12 months, and there’s no larger check than going through the No. 1 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings, Carlos Alcaraz.

The 30-year-old Briton will tackle Alcaraz within the second spherical of the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday, 4 months after falling to the Spaniard in straight units of their Wimbledon quarter-final. This time, underneath the brilliant lights of La Défense Area, Norrie is hoping for a relatively totally different end result.

“It’s a match to get pleasure from. He’s one of many two finest gamers on the earth, between him and Jannik [Sinner],” Norrie advised ATPTour.com. “I’m going to take it to him… I all the time have battles with him, so I’m wanting ahead to that.”

Norrie arrives within the second spherical after grinding by way of a nervy opener in opposition to Sebastian Baez on Monday. His 6-3, 6-4 win featured six breaks of serve, utilizing the match as worthwhile court docket time to settle into the brand new circumstances on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion’s new residence.

“I used to be somewhat bit nervous, but it surely’s a pleasant new feeling to be enjoying right here in La Défense,” stated Norrie, the present World No. 31. “I believe these are the precise matches you need to be enjoying — while you’re a bit nervous and then you definitely come by way of it — in order that’s good.

“It’s good to work on [the nerves] in a real-life match state of affairs when you’re the favorite to win and you must carry out. I used to be ready to try this in some huge moments, so I loved that.”

After dismantling Norrie at SW19, Alcaraz presently leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head collection 5-2, however the Briton has purpose to imagine this time round. Gamers have famous a noticeable change in court docket velocity — an element Norrie believes may deliver his heavy topspin forehand into play.

“For positive I prefer it. I keep in mind final 12 months it was so fast I couldn’t make too many balls,” Norrie stated of the circumstances. “It fits my recreation properly and the ball’s bouncing up somewhat bit greater than I keep in mind. It was all the time fairly low right here earlier than, in order that’s actually good for my forehand and I can get some good revs on it.”

Nonetheless, going through Alcaraz isn’t easy. The 22-year-old boasts a Tour-leading eight titles this 12 months, based on the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and arrives refreshed for his first ATP Tour occasion since successful the Tokyo title.

“Particularly on this court docket, the place the ball is bouncing lots, I’m going to need to fluctuate it lots and be prepared for something,” Norrie stated. “He’s acquired a really full recreation and can also be one of the vital assured guys in the meanwhile, so I’m going to need to play my finest to have an opportunity.

“I’m going to go away that every one behind and go on and play. For positive [time for some revenge], he chopped me fairly simply at Wimbledon so I’m going to need to step up my degree to have an opportunity with him.”

Norrie’s 2024 season was disrupted by a forearm damage that pressured him to overlook the Paris Olympics and the US Open, however he discovered type within the closing occasion of the 12 months to achieve the ultimate of the ATP 250 in Metz.

Now, after a 2025 marketing campaign that has featured a Prime 10 win over Lorenzo Musetti in Washington, Norrie will put his grit and flexibility in opposition to the perfect. A win for the previous World No. 8 could be an announcement.