Taylor Fritz had an unfriendly farewell to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech after their second round match. At Wimbledon Thursday.
Fritz, the 13th seed, defeated Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at the All England Club in what was a rematch of their previous meeting at the open French in 2023.
Taylor Fritz of the United States in action against Arthur Rinderknech of France in the men's singles second round match during day four of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2024 in London, England. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
During the post-match handshake, Fritz admitted to telling Rinderknech to “have a nice flight home.” But, as he explained, the comment was not spontaneous.
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“I'm a very calm person. I don't do anything that would upset people, so when someone tries to attack me, I'm not going to take it,” he told The Associated Press. “It gave me the extra push to win.”
“When we shook hands, I simply said, 'Have a nice flight home.'”
The “shot” Fritz was referring to appeared to be a reference to a comment Rinderknech made before their match.
Arthur Rinderknech of France in action against Taylor Fritz of the United States in the men's singles second round match during day four of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2024 in London, England. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
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According to Tennis.com, Rinderknech was commenting on their last meeting at Roland Garros in 2023, where Fritz silenced the predominantly French crowd after defeating Rinderknech in the second round.
“The atmosphere will be calmer (than at Roland Garros) and there won't be as much crying,” he said, according to the report. “He complained a bit, saying it was too loud. I don't hold it against him, but I was wrong if I thought the French crowd “I sent him kisses between points.”
Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates his victory over Arthur Rinderknech of France in the second round of the men's singles at Roland Garros on June 1, 2023, in Paris, France. (Frey/TPN/Getty Images)
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According to Fritz, Rinderknech did not seem to like the comment and reminded him that he will continue playing doubles on grass courts.
“I said, 'Oh, congratulations. Good for you.' Then he started acting like, 'Why are you so blah, blah, blah?' I said, 'Dude, you know what you said. You know what you said.' Don't disrespect me before the game and then expect me to be nice after the game. That's not how it works.”
Fritz will face 24th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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