Taylor Fritz, after his Wimbledon triumph, delivers a parting shot to Arthur Rinderknech, leaving the Frenchman with a message fit for a journey home.
*In a heated display of post-match tension, American tennis star Taylor Fritz aimed a verbal barb at his French opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, following their second-round encounter at Wimbledon. The match, a rematch of their previous meeting at the French Open, saw Fritz emerge victorious with a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 scoreline.*
*During the customary post-match handshake, Fritz acknowledged uttering the words "have a nice flight home" to Rinderknech. However, Fritz clarified that this comment was not an unprovoked gesture.*
Fritz's Post-Match Ploy: A Farewell Shot for Rinderknech
*Explaining his actions, Fritz stated, "I'm a very chill person. I don't do anything that could rub people the wrong way, so when someone kind of just goes out of their way to take a shot at me, then I'm not just going to take it. It gave me the extra fire to win." Fritz added, "When we shook hands, I just said, ‘Have a nice flight home.’"*
*Fritz's remark appeared to stem from a comment made by Rinderknech prior to their match. According to Tennis.com, Rinderknech made a reference to their previous encounter at Roland Garros in 2023, where Fritz had drawn attention for shushing the predominantly French crowd after his victory over Rinderknech.*
Fritz's Post-Match Ploy: A Farewell Shot for Rinderknech
*"The atmosphere will be quieter (than at Roland Garros) and he won't cry as much," Rinderknech reportedly said. "He whined a bit, saying it was too noisy. I hold no grudge against him, but he was wrong if he thought the French crowd would send him kisses in between points."*
*According to Fritz, Rinderknech did not seem to appreciate the reminder and mentioned that he would still be competing in doubles on the grass courts. Fritz responded with "Oh, congrats. Good for you." He then expressed his belief that Rinderknech had initiated the conflict.*
Fritz's Post-Match Ploy: A Farewell Shot for Rinderknech
*"I said, ‘Oh, congrats. Good for you.’ Then he started acting like, ‘Why are you blah, blah, blah?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you know what you said. You know what you said.’ Don’t disrespect me before the match and then expect me to be all nice after the match. That’s not how it works."*
*Fritz will face 24th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile in the third round on Saturday. The American's victory over Rinderknech adds to the excitement of Wimbledon, where he hopes to continue his impressive run and potentially contend for the prestigious title.*
