Wimbledon star expected to be booed on Centre Court sends message to fans | Tennis | Sport

Taylor Fritz is braced for a partisan Wimbledon crowd after drawing home favourite Jack Draper in the opening round but he isn’t worried about too hostile a reception. The American reached the semi-finals in 2025 and is relishing not just a return to Centre Court but also a chance to play in front of fans who will remind him of the high stakes right from the get-go. While the crowd at SW19 aren’t always the most vicious, they have been known to boo those up against British stars in the past. Novak Djokovic notably found himself on the receiving end during a meeting with Cam Norrie but Fritz was philosophical ahead of his opener.

“I don’t know if I can use [the crowd] to my advantage but I think I’m just gonna be very excited for the moment, which will get me going and it always helps me play better,” Fritz said. “I think the Wimbledon crowd is very respectful. I’ve played in much more hostile environments and I don’t think it’s going to be anything like that. So that that’s nice, I guess.”

The first-round match-up is one of the most hotly anticipated in either the men’s or women’s draws. Draper might have had his injury issues but he’s undoubtedly one of the toughest opponents the No.6 seed could have been handed.

Fritz had a tough draw last year as well, coming through an opening round meeting with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. That victory propelled him to a deep run and he’s hopeful he can manage a repeat – if not an even better tournament – this time around.

“It kind of just is what it is,” he said. “It’s obviously not the easiest first round match but I’m excited to have that match that everyone’s going to be be paying attention to and watching, like the marquee first round match. I’m excited for that and to get right into it.”

The American continued: “And I kind of flip it and turn into a bit of a positive because I look back at a lot of good runs I’ve had at tournaments and a lot of the times I’ve had a tough draw. There’s something about when I can get through the early stages of a tough draw I’ve always done well and had some of my best results.

“Last year here at Wimbledon I had one of the toughest draws as well and it turned out with me making a really good run and playing great tennis. So I kind of just have to look at the positives behind it and I’m excited for the opportunity to get out there on Centre Court and ready for a battle in the first round.”

When Fritz referred to hostile environments, he may have been referring to the crowd at Roland Garros when he took on French star Arthur Rinderknech in 2023. On that occasion he shushed the crowd during a comeback victory and was met with boos and whistles during his post-match interview.

“I came out and the crowd was so great honestly. Like, the crowd was just so great,” he jokingly said at the time, with the crowd’s jeers prompting pleas for quiet from interviewer Marion Bartoli.

“They cheered so well for me, I wanted to make sure that I won. Thanks, guys.”