Taylor Fritz gave Frenchman Arthur Rinderknek a not-so-friendly send-off after their second-round match. At Wimbledon On Thursday.
Fritz, the 13th seed, beat Linder Kunek 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at the All England Club. French Open 2023.
Taylor Fritz of the United States plays against Arthur Rinderknech of France in the second round of the men’s singles during day four of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at the British Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England on July 4, 2024. (Daniel Kopacz/Getty Images)
During the post-game handshake, Fritz acknowledged telling Linderkunek “have a safe flight,” but as he explained, the comment didn’t come out of the blue.
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“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,” he told The Associated Press. “It gives me even more passion to win.”
“When we shook hands, I simply said, ‘I hope you have a pleasant flight home.'”
The “shot” Fritz mentioned was likely a reference to comments made by Lindel Knech before the game.
Arthur Linderkunek of France plays against Taylor Fritz of the United States in the men’s singles second round during day four of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England on July 4, 2024. (Daniel Kopacz/Getty Images)
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According to Tennis.com: Rinderknech was commenting on the pair’s previous meeting at the 2023 French Open, where Fritz famously silenced the mostly French crowd after beating Rinderknech in the second round.
“The atmosphere will be quieter (than at Roland Garros) and he won’t cry as much,” he was quoted as saying. “He whined a bit and said it was too loud. I have no grudge against him, but I hope he will be able to continue to play.” French audience I blew him kisses between points.”
American Taylor Fritz celebrates after winning against France’s Arthur Linderkunek in the second round of the men’s singles at the French Open tennis tournament on June 1, 2023 in Paris, France. (Frey/TPN/Getty Images)
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Fritz said Linder-Knech didn’t seem pleased with the remark and reminded him that he planned to continue playing doubles on grass courts.
“I said, ‘Congratulations. Good for you,’ and he started saying, ‘Why the hell are you?’ I said, ‘Dude, you know what you said. You know what you said.’ Don’t disrespect me before the game and expect me to be nice to you after the game. It doesn’t work that way.”
Fritz will next face 24th-seeded Alejandro Tabillo of Chile on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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