Sass is present yet again in Taylor Fritz vs Arthur Rinderknech. The duo loves to create drama on the court, as they did in their 2023 French Open clash. His performance silences the opponent and the crowd, leaving the Frenchman bitter. He threw shade at Fritz prior to their grass clash, but the American managed to throw sass back at Rinderknech after his four-set victory, giving an enjoyable moment to Mardy Fish.
As Rinderknech realized he was set to face Fritz, he said, “My friend Taylor! The atmosphere will be calmer and he will cry a little less this time, I think.“ He referenced the time Fritz claimed the crowd was too loud for him in their previous clash in Paris. “I have nothing against him, but if he expected the French crowd to give him kisses between points, he was in the wrong place. He beat me, bravo for him,” said the 28-year-old Frenchman. Defeating Rinderknech once again, Fritz found his time to return the favor and said, “Have a nice flight home.“
The 42-year-old American former tennis player, Mardy Fish, was proud of Fritz’s response to his opponent in a turn of events. Fish highlighted Fritz’s comments with a caption that reads, “I’ve never been more proud,” loving the petty side of Fritz. He has always been a big fan of the 25-year-old!
Previously, Mardy Fish revealed that he thinks one of the keys to Fritz’s success is consistency. The former pro at that time had also urged him to “Never be satisfied!“ In their previous match in Stade Roland-Garros, Fritz faced Rinderknech and the crowd. The jeers and boos after his victory were deafening, but after his win, the American sarcastically said, “The crowd was so great cheering for me, I wanted to make sure I won,” angering them even more.
With another triumph over Rinderknech, the French crowd likely hates Taylor Fritz more than ever. We don’t have to wait for their reaction for long either, as Fritz will return to Paris for the Olympics after Wimbledon. While his trash-talking skills are improving, Fritz’s tennis skills have also reached new heights.
Fritz will play the Mallorcan champion, Alejandro Tabilo, in the third round. Tabilo is ranked seven places behind Fritz. However, with the form the Chilean has been in this season (two titles in 2024), surely the American wouldn’t take him lightly. Now, coming back to the Fritz-Rinderknech saga, the American clarified his reactions in the post-match press conference.
“It just gives me the extra fire” – Taylor Fritz reacts to Arthur Rinderknech’s statement
After letting the actions do the talking for him, Taylor Fritz talked about his actions after the match. He was not impressed with how the Frenchman targeted him in his previous press conference. During the post-match presser, he backed his on-court reaction by saying, “You know what you did.” The disappointed Frenchman, who had just lost the match, couldn’t produce any significant replies. He just repeated Fritz’s words, saying, “I know what I did?“
Taylor Fritz has always been that player who loves drama to reignite the flame inside him, especially when the heat comes from the opposition first. He added, “It just gives me extra fire, obviously. 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.“
He revealed how Rinderknech approached him during the handshakes after the match to express his surprise at Fritz’s reaction, but the American just told him not to “disrespect” him before the match and “expect” him to be nice after that. Fritz told him that’s not how things work. With another dramatic moment, are we seeing a fiery rivalry in the making?
