Taylor Fritz is through to his third Wimbledon quarterfinal, continuing his impressive run on grass with a dominant—if abbreviated—performance. The fifth-seeded American led Australia’s Jordan Thompson 6-1, 3-0 before Thompson was forced to retire with a leg injury.
Despite sunshine outside, play on No. 1 Court began under a closed roof due to the threat of rain—a smart decision, as thunder soon boomed overhead and a sudden downpour briefly drowned out the court sounds.
Fritz set the tone with a 136 mph ace on the very first point. He then held serve at love and maintained complete control. In just 41 minutes, the American delivered a clinical display: six aces, no double faults, and a flawless 12-for-12 on first-serve points. He dropped just one point on his second serve.
His ground game was also sharp. Fritz hit 20 winners—including six forehands and five backhands—and made only three unforced errors. He moved exceptionally well, retrieving balls that seemed out of reach and showing patience in constructing points.
(AP Photo: Joanna Chan)
At love-3 in the second set, Thompson called for a medical timeout and left the court. On his return, trailing love-40, after Fritz hit a forehand cross that Thompson wasn’t able to move for, he approached the net and retired.
In his post-match press conference, Fritz said: “Yeah, I mean, it’s a shame. I think he’s been playing a ton. Even played a three-set doubles match yesterday. Respect to him for trying to continue on.”
He added: “Yeah, it’s sad. I felt pretty locked in. I felt like I was playing well. I felt like I was going to play a very good match, but it is what it is.”
Fritz has now recorded more grass-court wins than any player on tour since 2020. Asked when he first realized the surface suited him, he said:
“I feel like the first time I played on grass in the juniors, I was already really excited to play on grass. I felt like it would be good for my game. Then the first time I played on it, I started having good results, felt like I was playing well.
“My first big breakthrough in the juniors came at junior Wimbledon. Since then, I feel like a lot of parts of my game translate well. Over time, I’ve experimented with different things on grass—returning, chipping, slicing, sometimes chipping and coming in on a low ball.
“I try not to change my game too much, but I’ve made little tweaks that have helped me. I’ve figured out different ways I can adjust depending on my opponent.”
He also spoke about managing the rhythm of a major. “From a few years ago, it’s just like the experience of doing it over and over again helps a lot. I get into a really nice routine—match day, off day, everything. I do all the same things, and it gives me confidence.”
Fritz admitted to being a bit superstitious when it comes to those routines. “I take the saying ‘you don’t change a winning formula’ to an extreme,” he said with a grin. “Everything’s in the same order. It’s like to an extreme level. I’m doing everything the same.”
As he prepares to face 20th-seeded Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals, Fritz said:
“I think our games are quite similar overall. To be honest, we practice all the time, so we’re pretty familiar with each other’s games. But yeah, I think I’ve improved a ton and I’ve become a much, much better player since the last time we played.”
Asked what he admired most about Khachanov’s game, Fritz said: “He’s got a great backhand. He’s got a really nice backhand.”