TENNIS
When does Taylor Fritz play next at Wimbledon 2024? Who is his third round opponent?
The American star beat Arthur Rinderknech in a dramatic match and told the Frenchman to “have a nice flight home”.
Taylor Fritz’ Wimbledon story will continue for a few more days, at least, after a hard-fought four-set win over Arthur Rinderknech on Thursday. The US star secured a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win to set up a game against Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.
Thursday’s clash was a rematch of a 2023 French Open meeting between the two, won by Fritz in front of a partisan Parisian crowd. Rinderknech had made no secret of his desire to get one back on Fritz at Wimbledon. Speaking after the match, the American revealed that he had taken particular pleasure in eliminating Rinderknech once again.
“I just said, ‘Have a nice flight home,’” Fritz told reporters after the match, recounting a frosty conversation between the two players at the net.
Fritz continued: “He started acting like, ‘Why are you blah, blah, blah?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, you know what you said. You know what you said.’ Don’t disrespect me before the match and then expect me to be all nice after the match.”
Fritz builds on impressive first round victory
Fresh from becoming the first three-time title winner at the Rothesay International Eastbourne tournament last Saturday, Fritz took last week’s form into his opening Wimbledon match-up, defeating Christopher O’Connell in straight sets.
No. 13 seed Fritz recorded 18 aces and won 95% of points on his first serve against O’Connell. Fritz broke his serve on five occasions and saved both break points he faced, with the numbers adding up to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 triumph.
Taylor Fritz - Alejandro Tabilo: Head to head
Fritz and Tabilo have met twice before, both of which were won by the American. In 2022 they faced off in Houston on clay and Fritz cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Earlier this year Fritz won 7-6(2), 6-2 at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells.
Taylor Fritz - Alejandro Tabilo: Start time, how to watch
The second-round matchup between Fritz and Tabilo will be played on Saturday, 6 July At the time of writing, the order of play has only been confirmed for the show courts (Centre Court and Court No.1 ), which the clash will not be taking place on.
If you are in the US, you can watch Wimbledon on ABC, ESPN, and the Tennis Channel.
You can also stream the tournament on fuboTV, which offers new users a free trial
What is Fritz’s best performance at Wimbledon?
Fritz is making his eighth appearance in the main draw at the All England Club and posted his best Wimbledon performance to date in 2022. The California native reached the quarter-finals two years ago, before losing a five-set thriller to two-time champion Rafael Nadal.
In 2023, Fritz was eliminated in the second round, throwing away a two-set lead as he went down to Sweden’s Mikel Ymer.
The American has won eight career titles but is still searching for his first Grand Slam victory. In fact, he has never got beyond the last eight of any of the four majors. Could Fritz break new ground on the biggest stage in the world of tennis?