Taylor Fritz sent a “Have a nice flight home” after his second-round win over Wimbledon opponent Arthur Rinderknech on Thursday.
The pair engaged in a spirited battle at the net after the 13th-seeded American beat Linderkunek of France 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at the All England Club.
It was a rematch of the 2023 French Open, and Fritz won in front of a raucous, enthusiastic crowd, only to silence them after the match.
Linder-Knech mentioned that earlier matchup in the run-up to Thursday’s meeting, Fritz heard it, and Fritz wasn’t happy.
“I’m a very level-headed person. I don’t do anything to offend people, so if someone goes out of their way to attack me, I don’t just take it,” said the California native. “It gives me an extra passion to win.”
So when it came time for the postgame handshake on Thursday, a few words were exchanged.
“I just said, ‘Have a good flight home,'” Fritz recalled.
Fritz said Linder-Knech responded by pointing out that he was still thriving in doubles.
“I said, ‘Congratulations. Good for you,’ and he started saying, ‘Why are you dawdling?’ I said, ‘Hey, you know what you said. You know what you said.’ You can’t disrespect me before the match and then expect me to be nice to you after,” said Fritz, who will face 24th-seeded Alejandro Tabillo of Chile on Saturday for a spot in the fourth round. “It doesn’t work that way.”
At last year’s French Open, the crowd booed and whistled at Fritz after he eliminated Linder Knech, the last French player on the field.
Fritz put his finger to his lips, spread his arms and encouraged the crowd, shouting, “Come on! Let’s hear it!”
