Cameron Norrie enters Monday's French Open match against his bete noire, Daniil Medvedev, aiming to end his losing streak against the one-time Grand Slam champion.
The former British No. 1 has never managed to take a set off the Russian in their four previous encounters but hopes to achieve that elusive feat on the clay of Paris during his fifth attempt.
Match preview
© Imago
Although the clay season is Medvedev's least favourite phase of the tennis calendar, the 29-year-old must relish facing Norrie again in his bid to extend the British star's losing run in this matchup.
The two recently faced off in Rome, where the former world No. 1 defeated the Brit in straight sets in the second round, progressing before ultimately falling to eventual semi-finalist Lorenzo Musetti.
Medvedev heads into Monday's contest with an 18-10 record for the year—a mixed performance for the No. 11 player, who has lost only one tournament-opening match in 2025.
This positions the Russian star favourably ahead of another meeting with Norrie, as he strives for his fifth consecutive victory to set up a second-round encounter with either Aleksandar Kovacevic or Federico Agustin Gomez.
While a deep run is uncertain for a player whose 10-8 career record underlines his general aversion to the event, he should back himself to secure an 11th victory at the expense of the British star.
© Imago
Despite Norrie's underdog status against the Russian, the former world No. 8 enters the second Grand Slam of 2025 buoyed by an impressive run to the semi-finals in Geneva, where he fell to Novak Djokovic in three sets.
Hoping to build on that Geneva performance, the left-handed 29-year-old aims to carry his Swiss momentum into facing an opponent against whom he has never excelled.
However, the prospects for a deep run appear bleak for the world No. 90, whose 7-7 French Open record leaves much to be desired.
Having experienced losses in his last matches against Musetti in 2023 and Pavel Kotov 12 months ago, Norrie is eager to achieve his first French Open victory in two years, aiming to break his losing streak against his Russian opponent.
Head To Head
Rome Masters (2025) - Second round: Medvedev 6-4 6-2
Miami Masters (2024) - Third round: Medvedev 7-5 6-1
Los Cabos (2022) - Final: Medvedev 7-5 6-0
Shanghai Masters (2019) - Round of 32: Medvedev 6-3 6-1
Although the upcoming match will mark their first clash at a Grand Slam, Medvedev's 4-0 advantage highlights the Russian player's dominance, bolstered by his securing all eight sets played in previous meetings.
After suffering losses to Learner Tien and Mattia Bellucci in Australia and Rotterdam to start 2025, the Russian star has claimed back-to-back wins over left-handed opponents, including his victory over Norrie in Rome.
Nevertheless, the 29-year-old former world No. 8 has achieved five consecutive victories over players outside the top 10 in Geneva, including triumphs over Tomas Machac and Alexei Popyrin, providing encouragement for the world No. 90 against Medvedev.
We say: Medvedev to win in four sets
Although Medvedev is expected to secure another victory over Norrie, the Briton is predicted to finally claim a set against his Russian opponent, even if his momentum from reaching the semi-finals in Geneva has its limits against the former world No. 1.
