Cameron Norrie Ends Six-Match Losing Streak in Straight-Sets Win at Los Cabos
Cameron Norrie ended a six-match losing streak on July 28, beating Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo in Los Cabos, Mexico. (BBC Sport)
Norrie, seeded fifth at the tournament — a ranking that protects top players from meeting each other early — had not won a match since the Madrid Open in April. The drought included a first-round exit at Wimbledon, where he fell to qualifier Michael Zheng. (BBC Sport)
The opening set was far from straightforward. Norrie had his serve broken twice, including in the very first game — a break of serve means the returner wins one of the server's games, which should normally hold. He recovered both times, finding his rhythm from the back of the court and taking the set 6-4.
The second set was a different story. Norrie dropped only five points on his own serve across the entire set and broke Kovacevic — that is, took the American's service games — twice to close it out 6-1. (BBC Sport)
The opponent was a familiar one. Norrie and Kovacevic had met earlier in 2026 at the Brisbane International, where Kovacevic won a three-setter, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4, in the Round of 16. (ATP Tour) Kovacevic also had recent history at this venue: he was the runner-up at the Los Cabos tournament in 2025. (ATP Tour)
Norrie has his own ties to this event. He won his first ATP title here in 2021, making Los Cabos a place where his career has historically taken a positive turn. (BBC Sport)
The win sends Norrie through to the last 16, where he will face either Australia's James Duckworth or American Aidan Mayo. (BBC Sport)
For a player who spent three months searching for a victory, a straight-sets win against a opponent who had beaten him head-to-head earlier in the year is a foothold. The second-set dominance — five points dropped on serve — suggests the mechanics of his game are still sharp even when confidence has taken a beating. Whether this marks a genuine turnaround or a single good night in a familiar place is a question the next round will start to answer.
