‘Use That Negative Fuel’ – American Tennis Legend John McEnroe Backs Taylor Fritz After Rough Treatment From French Open Spectators

World No. 8 Taylor Fritz was in for a tough time in his second-round match at the 2023 French Open against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech. As one of their own was playing against the American star, from start to finish, the majority of the crowd booed Fritz. Initially, it seemed like Fritz couldn’t handle the pressure, as he succumbed to a first-set loss. However, Fritz calmed himself down and eventually went on to win the next three sets. Following the match’s conclusion, Fritz proceeded to ‘shush’ the crowd into silence. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t go down well with a section of those in attendance.

Fritz also faced some serious flak on social media owing to his gesture. Many criticized him for trying to emulate Daniil Medvedev‘s antics at the 2019 US Open. However, American tennis legend John McEnroe has come out in support of his compatriot. McEnroe’s support for Fritz doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, McEnroe himself was embroiled in several controversies throughout his professional tennis career.

John McEnroe loved what Taylor Fritz did

During McEnroe’s incredibly successful playing days, he frequently encountered crowds that were against him and wanted him to fail. This was due to McEnroe’s controversial on-court personality, which seldom helped him in getting tennis purists to support him. McEnroe also clashed with umpires. For instance, his “you cannot be serious” moment at the 1981 Wimbledon Championships will forever go down as one of the most controversial yet memorable moments in tennis history. As a result, McEnroe could feel what Fritz went through during his match against Rinderknech.

In his Eurosport interview, McEnroe said, “I can relate to fans being against me, so respect for Taylor. I love that”.  McEnroe added, “[A hostile crowd] can be extremely intimidating, but it can also be very inspiring. You can use that negative fuel to your advantage”.

The 7-time Grand Slam winner went on to state that Fritz coming out on top wasn’t a surprise for him as the American is “a better player than Rinderknech” in his opinion. The American veteran also brought up Medvedev. “I like to see a little confrontation, a la Medvedev a couple of years ago at the US Open.”

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Fritz also had the backing of his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle

Rinderknech dominated Fritz in the first set and went on to register a shock 6-2 win, much to the delight of the crowd. Fritz was clearly reeling from the crowd’s constant booing. However, he seemed to have flicked a switch as the second set started. It allowed him to transform the crowd’s incessant boos into potent motivation for himself. Ultimately, that motivation served Fritz quite well, as he won the next three sets: 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Fritz’s girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, who was in attendance, turned out to be one of the handful of people in the crowd who were rooting for the American. She even pulled out a camera and captured the drama with a smile on her face.

Will Fritz’s ‘Medvedev moment’ come back to haunt him in the third round? However, with the support of the likes of Riddle and McEnroe, and his own incredible resolve to stand tall against all odds, he should be fine even if the booing gets louder.

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