The fourth-round battle for a spot in the quarterfinals is heating up. Cameron Norrie hasn’t had it easy, but his fighting spirit is unbreakable. He once said, “I want to keep pushing and keep progressing, regardless of if I’m practicing well or feeling good or not feeling good.” That’s exactly what the Briton aimed to do! So far, he’s done brilliantly to reach the R4 of the French Open—his best showing here in seven years. But a deeper run might have to wait. Novak Djokovic stands in his way, and he’s a tough wall to climb.

On Monday, Norrie took on Novak on Court Philippe-Chatrier. He lost the first two sets to Nole, 6-2, 6-3. His run looked shaky. In the second set, Norrie called for medical help. An X user confirmed the MTO. He tweeted, “Norrie called the trainer; left foot ‘Federer’s private physio for a number of years’ (per R. Koenig) comes to see his foot. Confirmed MTO.” Ouch!

Both players have already made pit stops with the physios—Novak Djokovic in the first set and Cameron Norrie in the second. Earlier, Nole had his foot (reportedly, ankle) checked, but he hasn’t slowed down on Chatrier today. However, he’d rather be safe than sorry!

How will this end for the Briton? The match is now in the third set. Nole leads 4-1. Can Norrie pull off a miracle? Only time will tell. However, this isn’t his first time being held back due to injury.

Last season dealt him his first big blow—a torn biceps that forced him out of both the Olympic Games and the US Open, draining away any confidence he had left. But honestly, his struggles had started even before that tough three-month break. He’s done well this season, making it to the quarters and semis of most tournaments, albeit Cameron Norrie hasn’t won a title since 2023 at Rio de Janeiro.

Update: The match has now wrapped up with a straight-set win for Novak Djokovic. Norrie had jumped to 0-15 after Djokovic sent a backhand long, then moved to 0-30 as Nole sprayed a forehand wide. He pulled it back, first as Norrie hit a return long, then leveled at 30-30 with another forced error from the Brit. However, a sharp forehand winner down the line handed Novak the match point, and he sealed the win with a strong first serve.

However, fans were already predicting the results of the match during the 29-year-old’s MTO.

Fans get honest about Cameron Norrie’s chances against Novak

Sharing a screenshot of Norrie getting medical help, one X user wrote, “Literally useless.” Many fans had hoped to see Norrie keep his strong run going after he knocked out Daniil Medvedev in the first round. He then powered through Federico Agustin Gomez and Jacob Fearnley to reach the fourth round in Paris, showing real grit on clay. Norrie has stepped up his game lately and even pushed Djokovic in Geneva, but he still lacks that killer edge against the tour’s top names.

One fan saw what was coming: “This is gonna be a straight sets win for Djokovic today. Norrie not hurting Novak at all. On top of that, Norrie has an ankle issue.” With the Brit looking in pain, it felt like a lost cause. His injury struggles last year had already dented his motivation. Still, he knew what he was up against.

He said, via The Guardian, “I’m going to have to suffer. I’m going to have to run four and a half hours to have a chance with him and to push him where he’s uncomfortable as well. I’m going to have to play with quality; otherwise, I have no chance.” Cameron Norrie did manage to keep fighting, winning at least seven games against Nole. But in the end, it wasn’t meant to be.

Another fan was more critical, writing, “Cameron Norrie takes a medical time-out for an ankle injury, after Novak Djokovic already took one for his feet. The level in this match is far from great. Djokovic up 6-2, 4-3*.” Both players had their MTOs, though Nole’s was more precautionary. He’s had his own injury troubles this season, especially at the Happy Slam in January!

He even won his quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz after taking a medical timeout for a thigh injury, which turned out to be a torn hamstring. That injury forced him to retire in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev after just one set!

One fan made a quick quip about British players: “Norrie having an MTO. Doing a Raducanu.” Like Cameron Norrie, Emma Raducanu has battled injuries since her 2021 US Open win. She’s faced ankle, wrist, and back issues and hasn’t won a title since. She made an impressive French Open run, reaching the third round, but three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek stopped her.

A more somber fan wrote, “[Translated from Spanish] Norrie has already gone to the locker room and called for medical assistance. Oh, if only it were the other way around…” There was hope the Brit could have stood a chance against Novak. Norrie once reached World No. 8 in September 2022, but his ranking fell to No. 49 by the end of 2024 and now sits at No. 81 as of May 26, 2025. His drop followed a tough 2024 season, including a torn biceps.

Still, his run to the fourth round at Roland Garros this year shows he’s finding his form again. Now that he’s out of the tournament, maybe we’ll see him bounce back on grass. Previously, Cameron Norrie reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2022. What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments!