Alexander Zverev expressed strong frustration towards Taylor Fritz following his loss in the Stuttgart Open final, telling the American player he was “tired” of playing him recently.
The 28-year-old German has faced considerable challenges when playing against the American over the past year. Fritz`s 6-3, 7-6 victory in the final marked his fifth consecutive win against Zverev during this twelve-month span.
The 27-year-old Fritz had a difficult clay court season, managing only three wins across four events due to physical issues. However, he appeared revitalised on the grass courts in Stuttgart this week, successfully navigating through the draw, defeating Quentin Halys, Marton Fucsovics, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and ultimately Zverev to claim the championship title.
During the runner-up speech at the trophy ceremony, Zverev delivered a remark to Fritz that was both humorous and pointed, stating, “Last but not least, Taylor, I’m f***ing tired of you.” He went on to say, “I don’t wanna see you again over the next two to three years. Please stay away from me. Don’t come to Germany anymore.”
Despite the initial bluntness, Zverev quickly offered praise, adding, “No, well done you deserve to win this title. You are one of the best players in the world on this surface and you were much better than me today, so congrats to the whole team and I’m sure you are going to do incredible on the next two tournaments on grass, so well done.”
Fritz was observed smiling sheepishly while sitting in his chair during Zverev`s speech.
After securing the win, Fritz, a US Open runner-up, playfully commented on his prior struggles on clay by posting “what is Clay?” on his social media account, X (formerly Twitter).
This instance was not the first time Zverev has had a notable reaction involving someone connected to Fritz. After his defeat to Fritz at Wimbledon last year, the three-time Grand Slam runner-up publicly voiced concerns about the behavior of a person in Fritz`s player box, widely believed to be his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle. In his post-match press conference, Zverev stated that while Fritz`s coach, physio, and second coach were “extremely respectful,” he felt “some other people” in the box, possibly less familiar with standard tennis etiquette, were “a bit over the top” in their reactions. He did clarify at the time, however, that he had “no issues with Taylor” himself.
At the time of that Wimbledon match, Morgan Riddle had shared a video on Instagram celebrating Fritz`s victory, accompanied by the caption: “When your man wins for the girls.”
Since the Wimbledon encounter, Fritz has continued his strong record against Zverev, securing further victories at the US Open, the Laver Cup, and the ATP Finals, underscoring his recent head-to-head advantage.
Fritz, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, is scheduled to compete next week in London at the Queen`s Club Championships, where he is drawn to face Corentin Moutet of France in his first-round match.
