Taylor Fritz instructed his Wimbledon opponent, Arthur Rinderknech, to “have a pleasant flight house” after beating him in a second-round match on Thursday.
The pair bought right into a little bit of a back-and-forth on the internet after the Thirteenth-seeded American’s 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over France’s Rinderknech on the All England Membership.
This was a rematch of a 2023 French Open contest that Fritz received in entrance of a rowdy partisan crowd, which he shushed afterward.
Rinderknech made a reference to that earlier matchup through the leadup to Thursday’s assembly, and Fritz heard about it. And was not happy.
“I’m a really chill individual. I don’t do something that would rub folks the incorrect means, so when somebody type of simply goes out of their approach to take a shot at me, then I’m not simply going to take it,” mentioned Fritz, who’s from California. “It gave me the additional hearth to win.”
So when it was time for the postmatch handshake Thursday, there have been some phrases exchanged.
“I simply mentioned, ‘Have a pleasant flight house,’” Fritz recounted.
Based on Fritz, Rinderknech responded by stating that he’s nonetheless round in doubles.
“I mentioned, ‘Oh, congrats. Good for you.’ Then he began performing like, ‘Why are you blah, blah, blah?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you realize what you mentioned. what you mentioned.’ Don’t disrespect me earlier than the match after which anticipate me to be all good after the match,” mentioned Fritz, who will tackle Twenty fourth-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile on Saturday for a spot within the fourth spherical. “That’s not the way it works.”
At Roland Garros final yr, spectators booed and whistled at Fritz after he eradicated Rinderknech, who was the final French man within the subject.
Fritz put a finger to his lips, then unfold his arms to egg on the group and yelled, “Come on! I wish to hear it!”
