Fearnley, Norrie to Square off in French Open Third Round
5/29/2025 4:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis
All-TCU showdown is set for a Saturday afternoon first serve
PARIS, France –TCU men's tennis has realized a decades-long dream of seeing two of its former players compete against one another in a Grand Slam main draw.
Three-time All-Americans Jake Fearnley and Cam Norrie will battle it out in the third round of the 2025 French Open on Saturday afternoon at Stade Roland Garros. The match will air on the TNT Sports family of networks.
The seminal moment is nothing short of historic for TCU and college tennis at large. Fearnley and Norrie's head-to-head is likely the first time in 24 years two players with a shared alma mater have squared off in a Grand Slam. It is believed that a second round match at The Championships, Wimbledon 2021 between Stanford's Paul Goldstein and Jeff Tarango was the most recent occurrence of a pair of program alumni meeting in a major championship.
Fearnley and Norrie, the British No. 2 and No. 3, each secured impressive opening round wins to put the all-TCU showdown within the realm of possibility. Fearnley sent off 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2, on Monday. Norrie had the unenviable task of facing No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev, a man he had never previously defeated, the following morning. The former world No. 8, Norrie rallied for a thrilling five-set victory, ousting Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Norrie's upset set up a favorable second round bout on Thursday vs. No. 147 Federico Augustin Gomez. He rolled past the Argentinian, 7-6 (7), 6-2, 6-1.
Fearnley drew No. 22 Ugo Humbert of France later in the afternoon. He claimed the opening set 6-3 and was level at 4-4 in the second frame before Humbert was forced to retire.
Saturday's victor is guaranteed a spot in the final 16 at Roland Garros, where a date with No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic likely awaits.
The match marks the first time Fearnley and Norrie have ever crossed paths on the pro circuit.
TCU is the lone program in the country with two collegians still competing in Paris.
A win represents different outcomes for both players.
For Norrie, it continues a mid-season career renaissance. Norrie was a mainstay in the top-10 of the ATP rankings in 2022 following his run to the semifinals of The Championships, Wimbledon. He had slipped to No. 91 earlier in May on the heels of a 2024 season hamstrung by injuries. Ahead of Saturday's showdown, Norrie has risen to 72nd provisionally, buoyed by his pair of French Open victories and a semifinal run at the ATP 250 Geneva Open.
In Fearnley's case, a defeat of his countryman and fellow TCU alumnus only fuels his meteoric rise. Fearnley was ranked 1,885th in October of 2023 while Norrie manned the British No. 1 billing. Long aspiring to join Norrie on the main draw, he became one of only two players in the sport's history to crack the top 100 of the ATP singles rankings less than a year after graduating from college. Fearnley reached the third round of the Australian Open in January in his second Slam appearance. He is up to a provisional ranking of No. 48, signifying his first career appearance in the ATP top-50.
Three-time All-Americans Jake Fearnley and Cam Norrie will battle it out in the third round of the 2025 French Open on Saturday afternoon at Stade Roland Garros. The match will air on the TNT Sports family of networks.
The seminal moment is nothing short of historic for TCU and college tennis at large. Fearnley and Norrie's head-to-head is likely the first time in 24 years two players with a shared alma mater have squared off in a Grand Slam. It is believed that a second round match at The Championships, Wimbledon 2021 between Stanford's Paul Goldstein and Jeff Tarango was the most recent occurrence of a pair of program alumni meeting in a major championship.
Fearnley and Norrie, the British No. 2 and No. 3, each secured impressive opening round wins to put the all-TCU showdown within the realm of possibility. Fearnley sent off 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-2, on Monday. Norrie had the unenviable task of facing No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev, a man he had never previously defeated, the following morning. The former world No. 8, Norrie rallied for a thrilling five-set victory, ousting Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Norrie's upset set up a favorable second round bout on Thursday vs. No. 147 Federico Augustin Gomez. He rolled past the Argentinian, 7-6 (7), 6-2, 6-1.
Fearnley drew No. 22 Ugo Humbert of France later in the afternoon. He claimed the opening set 6-3 and was level at 4-4 in the second frame before Humbert was forced to retire.
Saturday's victor is guaranteed a spot in the final 16 at Roland Garros, where a date with No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic likely awaits.
The match marks the first time Fearnley and Norrie have ever crossed paths on the pro circuit.
TCU is the lone program in the country with two collegians still competing in Paris.
A win represents different outcomes for both players.
For Norrie, it continues a mid-season career renaissance. Norrie was a mainstay in the top-10 of the ATP rankings in 2022 following his run to the semifinals of The Championships, Wimbledon. He had slipped to No. 91 earlier in May on the heels of a 2024 season hamstrung by injuries. Ahead of Saturday's showdown, Norrie has risen to 72nd provisionally, buoyed by his pair of French Open victories and a semifinal run at the ATP 250 Geneva Open.
In Fearnley's case, a defeat of his countryman and fellow TCU alumnus only fuels his meteoric rise. Fearnley was ranked 1,885th in October of 2023 while Norrie manned the British No. 1 billing. Long aspiring to join Norrie on the main draw, he became one of only two players in the sport's history to crack the top 100 of the ATP singles rankings less than a year after graduating from college. Fearnley reached the third round of the Australian Open in January in his second Slam appearance. He is up to a provisional ranking of No. 48, signifying his first career appearance in the ATP top-50.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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