Nick Kyrgios, who is widely known as a rather controversial character in the sport of tennis, has given his verdict on the ongoing and ever-growing feud between players Taylor Fritz and Arthur Rinderknech.
The Australian, who reached the Wimbledon final back in 2022 but is currently out of competitive action due to a wrist injury, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday to call Fritz’s dig at his beaten Wimbledon opponent “cheeky”, and that the war of words between the pair is “exactly what the sport needs.”
Taylor Fritz & Arthur Rinderknech’s Beef
It all started at the French Open in 2023
Fritz told Rinderknech to “have a nice flight home” during the post-match handshake after the American had beaten the Frenchman in their second-round clash on Thursday. The history between the pair stems from a needle-laden affair at the 2023 French Open in which Fritz shushed the Roland-Garros crowd after being booed by them for defeating their home favourite.
Rinderknech then referenced Fritz’s antics in the press conference before their Wimbledon rematch this week, saying: “The atmosphere will be quieter (than during their previous clash) and he won’t cry as much. He whined a bit, saying it was too noisy. I hold no grudge against him, but he was wrong if he thought the crowd would send him kisses between points.”
Andy Murray was given fabulous reception on what could be his last appearance on Centre Court at Wimbledon…
Fritz then used Rinderknech’s words as motivation to claim a second-successive victory over him, saying in the post-match briefing: “As soon as I saw it (Rinderknech’s comments) the match was basically over. I’m a very chill person. I don’t do anything that could rub people up 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. It gave me the extra fire to win.”
When asked to elaborate on Rinderknech’s response to his remark, Fritz pointed out that he said he wasn’t flying home as he still had doubles matches to compete in.
Kyrgios’ implication that the pair’s argument is exactly what the sport needs is a confusing one, given that millions of people regularly tune in to, or attend, the various Grand Slams each year. Perhaps the 29-year-old sees Fritz as someone who can carry on his reputation as a disruptor within the sport while he is away from the court.
What Next For Taylor Fritz & Arthur Rinderknech
Fritz continues his tournament in the singles, while Rinderknech turns his attention to doubles
Fritz’s tournament continues when he faces Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the fourth round on Saturday afternoon (the 6th of July). Rinderknech, meanwhile, faces Britain’s Charles Froom and Arthur Fery alongside Portuguese player Nuno Borges in the third-round of doubles matches on the same day.
The second-round match between the pair ended 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in favour of Fritz.
