Nocturnal 
Alexander Zverev has never lost to Cameron Norrie in eight attempts, and the German will be fancied to make it nine when the pair meet in the first round of the China Open in Beijing.
It’s a notable draw for a tournament that’s suddenly become box office. Zverev arrives as the reigning US Open champion and World No.2, fresh off a Laver Cup appearance for Team Europe, while Norrie is looking to kickstart a season that’s gone off the boil in recent weeks.
How the pair match up
Zverev has been one of the most reliable hard-court operators on tour this year, with a 24-7 record on the surface and seven straight wins heading into Beijing. His serve and backhand have been the foundation of a season that included his second Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
Norrie, by contrast, has gone 15-11 on hard courts in 2026 and crashed out in the first round of the US Open to Luca Van Assche. He’s lost three of his last four matches, but there is a glimmer of encouragement: the left-hander pushed Zverev to three sets the last time they met, in Cincinnati.
That result is about as close as Norrie has come to beating Zverev. The head-to-head stands at 8-0 in the German’s favour, including a perfect 7-0 on hard courts and two wins already this year. Norrie’s left-handed serve and ability to change pace could make things awkward early on, but history suggests Zverev’s power and consistency from the baseline tend to take over as matches wear on.
A packed schedule for Zverev
It hasn’t been a straightforward build-up for the top seed. Since lifting the US Open trophy, Zverev went straight into Davis Cup duty in Halle before heading to the Laver Cup, where he suffered a surprise defeat to Alex de Minaur. A short turnaround saw him fly to China for Beijing, switching from indoor conditions to the outdoor hard courts used at the tournament, with no first-round bye on offer at this ATP 500 level.
Those are the kind of factors that can occasionally catch out even the game’s top players in the opening round, though Zverev’s overall dominance of this fixture makes him the clear favourite regardless.
Why Beijing matters
The China Open is an ATP 500 event, doubling the ranking points and prize money on offer compared with the smaller 250-level tournaments played in Asia over the past fortnight. It also feeds directly into next week’s Shanghai Masters, meaning the leading players are spending the best part of three weeks in China chasing points for the ATP Finals race in November.
Beijing has a habit of rewarding the biggest names. Novak Djokovic has won the title six times and holds an extraordinary 29-0 record at the event, and he’s back in the draw this year for the first time in 11 years, sitting in Zverev’s quarter. Since the tournament returned to the calendar after the Covid pandemic, it’s been won by Jannik Sinner twice and Carlos Alcaraz once.
For now, all eyes are on the opening round in Beijing, where Zverev’s unbeaten record against Norrie will be put to the test once again. Coverage of the match in the UK is being shown on Sky Sports.
