"This is what tennis needs"; "Don’t poke a bear" - Fans back Taylor Fritz's heated exchange with Arthur Rinderknech as pair reignite feud at Wimbledon

A group of fans rallied behind Taylor Fritz after his heated exchange with Arthur Rinderknech following theie second-round match at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Rinderknech had earlier made a sly remark about the 26-year-old, leading to the confrontation.

The friction between the two can be traced back to the 2023 French Open, where the crowd supported home favorite Rinderknech, subjecting Fritz to heavy boos. Despite these challenges, the American ultimately triumphed.

Recalling last year's incident, the French took a subtle jibe at Fritz ahead of their rematch, stating that he thought the latter would "cry" a little less at SW19.

“The atmosphere will be calmer (than at Roland in 2023) and he will cry a little less. He was a little whiny. I have nothing against him, but if he expected the French public to give him kisses between points, it was a bad time," Arthur Rinderknech said (via Quentin Moynet).

The World No 12, however, delivered an impressive performance, defeating Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, thus ending his Wimbledon campaign. However, the friction between them persisted even after the match when Fritz sarcastically wished Rinderknech a nice journey home while patting his shoulder. Journalist Jose Morgado later posted the clip shared by a fan on X ( formerly Twitter).

"Have a nice flight back home," he wrote.

Most fans on X backed the World No. 12 after his confrontation with Rinderknech. One fan expressed enthusiasm for such confrontations in tennis, preferring it over friendly relations between players.

"I fuc*ing love it, this is what tennis needs. Not this buddy-buddy sh*t," they wrote.

A fan warned against provoking someone as talented as Fritz calling him a "bear"

"Arthur did it to himself. Don’t poke a bear, much less a far more talented bear," they commented.

"Those chipotle bowls dripping some heat Taylor @Taylor_Fritz97 love the new demeanor!" A fan said.

Here are a few more reactions from the tennis fans:

"Go Taylor!! Give it to him!" A fan chimed in.

"Hahaha, gotta love Fritz. Already a legend to me. If you wanna talk the talk you better walk the walk," a fan wrote.

"ATP tour needs more of this. Enough of everyone being best friends with everyone. I want toxicity," another weighed in.

Fritz later addressed confrontation between the two, explaining that his sarcastic remark was a response to Rinderknech's pre-match comments, which he couldn't tolerate.

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Taylor Fritz will face Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of Wimbledon 2024

Rothesay International Eastbourne - Day Six

Taylor Fritz has advanced to the third round of the London Major and will face World No. 19 Alejandro Tabilo on Saturday, 6 June. He had a great lead-up to the grasscourt Major, reaching the quarterfinals of the Queen's Club Championship, and winning the Rothesay International.

The 26-year-old then defeated Christopher O'Connell in the first round of Wimbledon 2024 followed by a win over Arthur Rinderknech in the second.

Meanwhile, Tabilo also had a great start to his campaign by convincingly defeating Dan Evans in the first round. The Chilean later faced tough competition in the second round against Flavio Cobolli but ultimately defeated the Italian 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4.

This will be the third encounter between Fritz and Tabilo, with the former leading their head-to-head record 2-0. The winner of their match will face either Alexander Zverev or Cameron Norrie in the fourth round.