Frances Tiafoe has become yet another top seed to crash out of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships in the early rounds. Following his loss to Cameron Norrie, Tiafoe opened up about how the Brit’s behavior irritated him during the clash.
Tiafoe, who claimed a dominant 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 over Elmer Møller in his opening match, struggled to deliver a similar performance against Norrie in their second-round meeting. Although the American won the first set, Norrie battled back to beat the 12th seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the third round.
When asked whether he was bothered by the crowd’s overwhelming support for the home favorite, Frances Tiafoe responded in the negative. Instead, the American said he was more annoyed by Cameron Norrie’s impassioned celebrations, which he described as “annoying.”
Trending
"It [the crowd] didn’t bother me. He was super amped, he was saying 'Come on' from the first game, which was definitely annoying. That probably bothered me more than the crowd," Frances Tiafoe said in his post-match press conference.
However, Tiafoe acknowledged that the crowd had motivated Norrie with their enthusiastic support, expressing his belief that the Brit wouldn't have produced the same high level of play if the spectators weren't cheering him on.
"The biggest thing was that he kept going and played better because of the crowd. I don’t think he probably plays as well if the crowd wasn’t so far behind him. They really pushed him and he started believing," he added.
After his Wimbledon exit, Frances Tiafoe will turn his attention to the North American hardcourt swing. The American is set to be back in action at the Citi Open in Washington, DC, which will begin on July 21.
"I was shocked at how well Cameron Norrie served today" - Frances Tiafoe after Wimbledon loss
In the same press conference, Frances Tiafoe admitted that he was very shocked by how well Cameron Norrie had served in their second-round encounter at Wimbledon. The Brit recorded 17 aces and had a successful first serve percentage of 76% during the blockbuster match.
"I don’t think he has served that well in a really long time. He was serving at 75, something stupid per cent. I hardly got a look at the second serve. I was trying to move around a little bit but I was shocked at how well he served today. I have never seen him serve like that," Tiafoe said.
After his win over Tiafoe, Norrie will lock horns with Mattia Bellucci in the third round of the grasscourt Major. Bellucci claimed a 7-6(4), 6-1, 7-5 win over Jiri Lehecka to advance to the Round of 32.
If Cameron Norrie progresses, he will face the winner of the match between Joao Fonseca and Nicolas Jarry in the fourth round, followed by a potential quarterfinal clash with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
