Taylor Fritz caused an upset by defeating No. 4 Alexander Zverev in the fourth round of Wimbledon, but it was his girlfriend who made the headlines after the match.
Following Fritz’s victory in five sets, he and Zverev engaged in a lengthy conversation at the net while shaking hands. Zverev expressed his displeasure with what he perceived as excessive cheering from individuals in Fritz’s box who may not be familiar with the tennis world.
Zverev, who was struggling with an injury during the match, seemed to specifically mention Fritz’s girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, in his comments.
“Towards the end, I mean, I thought from the fourth and fifth set, I was really struggling to serve, as well, to jump off on my leg, to create some power,” Zverev said. “His team is extremely respectful. I think his coach, his physio, also his second coach, they’re extremely respectful.
“I think there’s some other people that maybe are in the box that are not maybe from the tennis world, that are not maybe from particularly watching every single match. They were a bit over the top.”
Riddle responded to Zverev’s comments on social media after Fritz’s win. Here’s a closer look at her and what she had to say about Zverev.
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Who is Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend?
Riddle, 26, is a social media influencer who has been in a relationship with Fritz, 26, since 2020. They met on the exclusive dating app Raya during the height of COVID-19 in Los Angeles.
“Because it was during COVID, no restaurants were open, no bars were open so we ordered sushi,” Riddle told People. “We went to his place and I made him watch Midsommar with me, the really messed up horror movie.”
Riddle was dubbed “the most famous woman in men’s tennis” by the New York Times.
She boasts over 322,000 followers on Instagram, 500,000 followers on TikTok, and 74,000 subscribers on YouTube. Riddle shares day in the life videos related to tennis and her boyfriend Fritz.
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What did Morgan Riddle say to Alexander Zverev?
After Zverev criticized the cheering from Fritz’s box, Riddle responded on Instagram. She posted two stories, which were later deleted.
Her first post featured a picture of the tennis court with the caption, “Cheer loud ladies.” The next post showed her dancing with the caption, “When your man wins 4 the girls.”
Without knowledge of Zverev’s history, the posts may seem like light-hearted jabs. However, fans were aware of the domestic abuse allegations Zverev faced, giving the posts a more pointed message.
Riddle removed the posts after they caused controversy within the tennis community. She clarified that her posts were misinterpreted and “blown out of proportion.”
Alexander Zverev allegations
Zverev was accused of “physically abusing and damaging the health of a woman during an argument in Berlin in May 2020,” according to a court document from October 2023. The woman is the mother of his child.
The German court imposed a $488,000 fine and penalty order on Zverev, which he dismissed as “complete bulls—.”
Zverev appealed the fine, leading to a court case in June. He eventually reached a settlement payment of $217,820 outside of court to “shorten the process especially in the interest of the child they have together,” according to his legal team.
“The decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence,” the court informed the BBC.
These recent allegations are not the only ones Zverev has faced. Olya Sharypova, a former tennis player and ex-partner of Zverev, accused him of assaulting her multiple times. She shared her story on Instagram in October 2020 but did not press charges. The ATP commissioned an external investigation into the claims.
Zverev denied these allegations, and the investigation did not result in any consequences for the German tennis player due to “insufficient evidence.”