"It’s definitely not going to be the same at Wimbledon": Fritz looks back on being French Open villain and shushing crowd in Paris
ATPFriday, 30 June 2023 at 13:30
World number nine Taylor Fritz is hoping that he will not face
a similar booing incident at Wimbledon as he had to face during the French Open.
The 25-year-old was jeered by the crowd during his
second-round clash at the Roland Garros after he defeated France’s Arthur
Rinderknech.
In response to that, Fritz put his fingers to his lips to
shush the hostile crowd, but his reaction eventually ended up making the audience
more hostile.
The California-born, while talking to iNews, revealed why he
reacted the way he did after the match and also expressed optimism that he will
not receive similar treatment from the crowd at Wimbledon.
“I played [former French No 1 Gilles] Simon in Bercy,
indoors, when he was retiring, and I didn’t think that it could possibly get
worse than that,” he said. “So that’s what I was expecting going into the match
against [Rinderknech] and it was so much worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for
like, root for your guy, cheer for him. I don’t expect to go out there and have
people cheering for me [in Paris].
“But I would appreciate just the decency of letting me serve
a second serve after I miss my first serve. Literally throwing a party every
time I miss a first serve is pretty crazy. Every time I tossed the ball to
serve, a lot of the time I didn’t feel like I could like go after the serve
because I just expected to have to catch because someone was going to scream.
“I didn’t want to do anything during the match because then
it’s just going to make it worse and it was already just insane. I felt like I
was respectful because I didn’t want to make it worse the whole time. So then
when it was over, I said, ‘Whatever, if I’m going to take this s**t for three
hours, I’m allowed to do this, it’s fine’.
“I feel like the fans should understand if they’re going to
give it to me for three hours, then I’m totally within my boundaries to do
that. It’s definitely not going to be the same at Wimbledon.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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