Cameron Norrie hits back at Novak Djokovic’s poor sportsmanship claims, says he never ‘apologized’ for being late at the Italian Open

Cameron Norrie and Novak Djokovic's war of words intensifies.


Cameron Norrie hits back at Novak Djokovic’s poor sportsmanship claims, says he never ‘apologized’ for being late at the Italian Open

Cameron Norrie and Novak Djokovic (Credits: Tennis365 and CBS Sports)

The war of words between Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie has taken another twist, as the latter has finally spoken out. The duo had an infamous spat at the 2023 Italian Open a couple of weeks ago, something which did not impress Djokovic. The Serbian certainly took a dig at his opponent after the conclusion of their last 16 clash in Rome.

The episode related to a smash that hit Djokovic‘s foot. Cameron Norrie was unapologetic for the same and even celebrated in the Serb’s direction. The two also shared a cold handshake at the net. The Serbian had stated that his opponent was instigating him throughout the match. Although it is completely within the rules, the 35-year-old believes it is far from fair play.

YouTube video

In response, Cameron Norrie has called out Novak Djokovic for being late at the Italian Open. The players were scheduled to walk out at 11:00 am for their encounter. However, a delay from the Serb’s side saw them almost 15 minutes late. The Briton revealed that Djokovic did not even apologize to him for the delay, something which he felt for the obvious thing to do.

FS Video

Related: French Tennis Federation gives verdict on Novak Djokovic disqualification after Serbia Kosovo political statement at French Open

Cameron Norrie hits back at Novak Djokovic as war of words intensifies

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

Cameron Norrie stated that Novak Djokovic had been playing with the rules, given that he walked out pretty late onto the court. “He wanted some more time on the physio bed and the match was scheduled for 11am,” said Norrie. “And we walked out maybe 11.12 am, 11.13 am. I don’t think he saw any problem with that. He never said anything to me. And he never apologized,” said Norrie.

“I asked: ‘Was that OK to do that?’ They [the officials] said: ‘Yeah, it is within the rules.’ After 15 minutes, he gets defaulted. I said: ‘OK,’ and I continued warming up,” he added.

Cameron Norrie also stated that it is his natural game to be vocal in front of his opponents, and he did nothing different when he faced Novak Djokovic. The Briton recognizes the current World No.3 as one of the best players on the tour, and he wanted to be at his best during their encounter.

I wanted to win, it was one of those matches where he’s one of the best players in the world and I wanted to play my best and compete as hard as I could. I didn’t think I was in his face at all. I think, if anyone knows me, I’m pretty vocal in some matches. It was a regular tennis match for me,” he said.

Novak Djokovic claimed the victory in straight sets in their fourth-round meeting in Rome. It was a pretty straightforward encounter for the Serbian, who marched into the quarterfinals. However, his campaign was cut short by Holger Rune, who defeated him in three sets in the last eight battle.

In case you missed it: