“It's a long schedule, but it's alright for me": Cameron Norrie breaks ranks on ATP calendar debate

Former British No. 1 Cameron Norrie has shared his thoughts on the ATP Tour calendar, breaking ranks with colleagues who have heavily criticized the number of tournaments and the lack of rest periods. The former Indian Wells champion chose to highlight the positives of having the opportunity to compete almost every week.

The 30-year-old admits that over the years, he had to learn how to measure his own limits when selecting his tournament schedule. He believes this is a skill his peers must also develop—even if skipping events is not as lucrative as playing a packed calendar from the beginning to the end of the year. “In terms of the schedule, we're not kidding ourselves," Norrie said in an interview with the Daily Mail. “It's a long schedule, but on the flip side of that, there's a lot of opportunity to play these tournaments and to earn money and to earn a living.”

“It's a long schedule, but it's alright for me,” the former World No. 9 added. “And I think, you're not forced to play these (lower-graded) 250s; you have some requirements to play the 500s and the 1000s. 1000s are almost all mandatory, (but) you can pick your schedule.”

Reflecting on his own evolution, he noted: “In the past, I was typically always wanting to play. I would just test the limits of my burnout, really. And I think you need to learn, and you need to know where you like to play, what tournaments you like to play, and you need to always adapt your schedule."

The Brit is coming off a massive season of resurgence following a 2024 plagued by injuries that kept him out of competition for months. At the start of 2025, he hovered near the edge of the Top 100, but he managed to bounce back through a string of victories and deep runs to reclaim his place among the elite.

While he was ranked as World No. 90 as late as May, his performances during the clay and grass swings propelled him back into the Top 30 to finish the year. His run to the fourth round of Roland Garros and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon were pivotal moments in his steady ascent.

“At the beginning of this year, I was really trying to push. I thought I was ready to get back into the top 50 or top 30 or whatever," Norrie says. "And I was putting so much expectation on everything, rather than just going out and making it happen.”

“I knew I had the ability to do that, and I had to take a step back. It was not really happening for me. I just wanted to try and enjoy my tennis a little bit more. Suddenly I was playing really well, enjoying the clay and made the fourth round of the French Open and then had a good Wimbledon.”

After a few opening months without major results, Norrie believes the tide turned when he opted to play the qualifying rounds of the ATP 250 Geneva Open. There, he built momentum and confidence, racking up five consecutive wins to reach the semifinals—defeating rivals such as Jenson Brooksby, Alexei Popyrin, and Tomas Machac along the way.

“It started with that momentum,” Norrie said. “And I think that was one thing that, at the beginning of the year, I was never able to get. It was like: okay, get momentum—I was sick. Get momentum—I'm tired. Or someone else was playing good. So there's a lot of different factors that go into it.”

In Geneva, the Brit was eventually eliminated by the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic, who secured his 100th career title that week. For Norrie, the experience of stacking wins provided the necessary boost for his season, particularly at a tournament he doesn't usually play—given its slot between Rome and Roland Garros, a week most top players use for rest.

“The schedule is long, yes, but it's up to you to rest,” he added. “I think it's up to you to learn, and I think there always is a pressure when the tournaments are there to play them, because you see other guys getting the points. So there's a pressure from guys passing you, but at the end of the day, I want to enjoy my tennis, and I did that this year, so I was happy.”