"Disqualifications are reserved for Novak Djokovic" - Fans appalled by Cameron Norrie hitting fan with frustrated racket throw in ASB Classic loss

Cameron Norrie produced a controversial moment in the dying moments of his abject first-round loss at the ongoing 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland. The Brit threw his racket into the crowd in frustration, which subsequently hit a fan. The chair umpire issued a warning to Norrie, but several tennis fans later suggested that the former World No. 8 deserved outright disqualification.

Norrie faced Facundo Diaz Acosta in the first round of the 2025 ASB Classic, and was comprehensively beaten by the Argentine. Towards the very end of his 2-6, 3-6 loss, the Brit attempted an audacious drop volley return, which failed to clear the net.

A frustrated Norrie then flung the racket in the direction of the crowd sitting in the stands immediately behind him. The racket hit a fan and fell back on to the court. Chair umpire Greg Allensworth soon intervened and gave a warning to Cameron Norrie for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) soon reacted to the controversial development. Most opined that Norrie should have been defaulted, with one even comparing the situation to Novak Djokovic's 2020 US Open disqualification following the Serb angrily but inadvertently hitting a ball right at the throat of a line judge.

"Disqualifications and deportations are just reserved for Djokovic. It’s ok for the others," a fan wrote.

"Norrie throwing his racquet around out of frustration should have been disqualified but was given a warning instead. He seems out of sort the entire match. Acosta deserved to win," commented another.

"How is that not an auto DQ? He threw a racket and hit a fan lol that’s literally insane," another chimed in.

Here are some more reacts from fans irked by Norrie's behavior:

"Cam Norrie just literally threw a racket and hit a fan sitting in the front row behind him. This dude is as much a head case as Rublev," one fan opined, referring to Andrey Rublev, who has stirred controversy on numerous occasions with his often-extreme on-court outbursts.

"Norrie throwing his racquet around out of frustration should have been disqualified but was given a warning instead. He seems out of sort the entire match. Acosta deserved to win," another weighed in.

"RULES ARE RULES UNLESS YOU ARE CAM NORRIE," stated one.

Cameron Norrie once found himself mired in controversy because of an incident that riled none other than Novak Djokovic himself.

When Novak Djokovic fumed at Cameron Norrie after Brit hit Serb with tennis ball

Novak Djokovic (Source: Getty)

At the 2023 Italian Open, Cameron Norrie locked horns with Novak Djokovic in the Round of 16. The Serb won the match in straight sets, but there was a major flashpoint during the encounter when Norrie smashed the ball into Djokovic's legs. The 24-time Major winner was enraged at the Brit, and later called Norrie out at a press conference.

"I did watch the replay when he hit me. Yeah, maybe you could say he didn't hit me deliberately. I don't know if he saw me. I mean, peripherally you can always see where the player is positioned on the court. The ball was super slow and super close to the net. I just turned around because the point was over for me," Djokovic said.

Cameron Norrie's ranking has significantly fallen off in recent years due to a combination of injuries and form struggles. Right now, the Brit holds the World No. 48 ranking on the ATP Tour.