"It was pretty shocking" - Taylor Fritz handled French Open crowd booing exceptionally well, says proud girlfriend Morgan Riddle
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle has voiced concerns about the 2023 Roland Garros spectators' behavior in the American tennis star's second-round match. According to Riddle's recent Instagram post, she seemed perturbed by their actions, but also applauded Fritz for holding his ground despite their constant booing.
Although the clay court Grand Slam for this season has merely begun, it has already sprung out jaw-dropping headlines. The prestigious tournament attracted major heat after its home crowd treated the American tennis player with utter disrespect on Thursday.
The American tennis star emerged victorious in the second round after overcoming a tough four-setter match against France's home favorite Arthur Rinderknech. However, before Fritz sealed the match with a score of 2–6 6–4 6–3 6–4, he was ridiculed with a chorus of boos from the French crowd.
As it turns out, Rinderknech was the last-standing Frenchman in the championship and departure, naturally, was not taken kindly by the crowd. These actions, however, left his girlfriend Morgan Riddle distraught. Furthermore, she gave an insight into her thoughts after a potential fan asked her what she thought about the crowd's booing at Fritz's match.
The American No. 1's girlfriend admitted that they were prepared for the circumstances surrounding his match; however, they never anticipated the crowd to corner Fritz so harshly. Furthermore, Riddle also applauded Taylor Fritz for overcoming such extraordinary challenges.
"idk it was pretty shocking tbh. We knew it was going to be bad but never predicted it was going to be THAT bad. Regardless, I think Taylor handled it exceptionally well and ultimately gave back to the crowd what they had been giving him for 3 hours," Riddle wrote on Instagram.
Amid the American concluding the match, the boos didn't stop. It took the organizers on site a minute before they could silence the crowd and get on with Fritz's on-court interview.
Taylor Fritz takes on Francisco Cerundolo in French Open 3R
Taylor Fritz has proved himself a force to be reckoned with at the 2023 Roland Garros. After ending Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech's journey in the championship, the American is now eyeing a spot in the second week of the tournament.
The World No. 8 has been sailing through his 2023 French Open campaign for the season quite comfortably. Fritz overcame fellow American tennis player Michael Mmoh's challenge in the first round without facing much resistance, concluding the match with a straight-flush score of 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.
Despite Fritz not having the advantage of dominating the clay surface, he is running past any challenges thrown toward him. The 25-year-old surely hit his mark notwithstanding the French crowd's hostile behavior He will now face Argentinian and 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo in the Slam's third round.