“I’m not just going to take it!” Fueled by Arthur Rinderknech’s comments, Taylor Fritz has gotten the better of his fierce rival at Wimbledon. The American might not be the bitter one among the two after the clash, but when he is attacked, Fritz knows how to give it back! The ATP world often sees him as the soft and romantic one of the tribe, but he might not be his “nicest” self when his opponent accuses him of “whining.”

The storm among the two has been taking shape since last year in the French Open. However, taking a whole new angle this season at Wimbledon, Taylor Fritz has silenced his opponent with his greatest weapon, his tennis skills! After the fiery encounter between the two, Fritz appeared for an interview with the Tennis Channel. Inevitably, the first question of that interview was, “Revenge feels good, though, to be able to get that after he says some stuff?”

But the 26-year-old player admitted, “I am really just a chill guy. I don’t have issues with anybody. So it is pretty surprising when I am getting tagged and all this stuff like just randomly starts like taking some jabs at me before the match. So if you are going to do that, don’t expect me to be nice after the match.”

Much like him, the tennis world also did not expect to hear, “He [Taylor Fritz] 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 in between points,” from World No. 76, Rinderknech before the match.

But when he did, we all recalled the time when Fritz won massively against Rinderknech but did not have a great experience with the audience at the French Open. They booed and jeered at him continuously while Fritz tried to “shush” them. After all, he was playing on the home ground of his opponent. But Taylor Fritz, with or without the support of the live audience, has the potential to shine in a match. And this is what he proved in the second round at Wimbledon. 

The former World No. 5, who stayed silent on the matter before the match, ultimately brought his sassy self to work on the net after he won the game. ‘Have a nice flight home’, Fritz told Rinderknech. Taylor Fritz was not going to take the “disrespect.” For him, the motto is clear: if you strike, get ready to get a counterstrike as well! Further explaining his reasons, Taylor Fritz oozed confidence in both his on and off-court talents!

Taylor Fritz talks about the “extra motivation” that he utilized against Arthur Rinderknech

Taylor Fritz defeated Rinderknech by 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. His zeal to win the first Grand Slam and move past his early-round opponents was not the only driving force behind the victory. Deep in his heart, he knew he could not lose the match, for another reason. “I have never lost a match where someone’s upset me during the match or before the match ever. So I think the results should speak for itself. I feel like that extra motivation always helps me play better.”

However, he does not intend to “rub people in the wrong way.” Instead, he demands respect. Nevertheless, the American who calls himself as a “non-confrontational” person now wishes to move forward and play his “best” in the tournament. While he does that, we are all waiting to see how his upcoming matches unfold at SW19!