American Taylor Fritz entered the 2024 Australian Open as the underdog. But the 26-year-old just achieved the biggest upset of the men’s draw so far, defeating No. 7 seed and 2023 Australian Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Though most expected another Tsitsipas Australian Open final, including Nick Kyrgios, Fritz battled the former Australian Open finalist to win 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
I think TsiTsipas wins the Aus Open
According to Tennis Magazine, this victory marks a triple career milestone for Fritz. First, it’s his 20th career victory against a Top 10 player. Second, it’s Fritz’s first time at a Grand Slam defeating a Top 10 player. Lastly, the American now advances to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time in his career.
What’s Fritz’s reward? Another matchup with 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.
Fritz’s Quarterfinal Clash with Djokovic Looms
As the last American male contender in Melbourne, Taylor Fritz will face Serbian World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
This upcoming match is not new for either player, as Djokovic currently leads 8-0 against Fritz. Their most recent encounter was at the 2023 U.S. Open, which ended in a straight set victory for Djokovic.
The first #AusOpen men’s Quarterfinal matchup is set!
Djokovic leads the H2H 8-0 👀
But following his latest win, Fritz is feeling confident, even if Djokovic has his number.
“I feel confident if I’m able to play like I did today then I’ll have a chance,” Fritz said about his upcoming match with Djokovic in his on-court interview.
In his match against Tsitsipas, Fritz’s serve was dependable and powerful. The 6-foot-6 Fritz won 86% (68/79) of his first-serve points and blasted 13 aces. Compared to Tsitsipas, who had 41 winners and 33 unforced errors, Fritz held strong at 50 total winners and only 19 unforced errors throughout the match.
These two saved the best for last!
@Taylor_Fritz97 breaks Stefanos Tsitsipas in a frantic, fantastic final game to take the match 7-6(3) 5-7 6-3 6-3.
It’s the American’s first win over a top 10 player at a Grand Slam!
#AusOpen • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis
“I’m really happy,” Fritz said in his post match press conference. “I think start to finish I played well. Especially I’m super happy about the way I finished it—the last three games of the match I really, really turned it on, almost like I was in a trance and everything. Just felt good. I felt like I knew exactly what shot to hit, the right decision to make on every ball.
Adding on, Fritz also said, “It’s great. It’s been a while since I’ve had that feeling, so it gives me a lot of confidence.”
GettyMorgan Riddle after boyfriend Taylor Fritz wins at Australian Open
A Unique Twist: Morgan Riddle’s Vegemite Challenge
Beyond the courts, Taylor Fritz’s victory at the Australian Open brought an unexpected twist involving his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle.
In his on court interview, Fritz shared that he told his girlfriend he was going to win his match against Tsitsipas. Claiming he was too confident going into the match, Riddle decided she wanted to make things a little more interesting.
Before his match against Tsitsipas, Riddle posted an Instagram photo that said: “if @taylor_fritz wins again ill eat a jar of vegemite on [Instagram] live.”
According to the Spruce Eats, vegemite is a native Australian food that is most commonly spread on toast, as it is a thick brown paste flavored with vegetables and spices.
Fritz’s success has not only propelled him into the quarterfinals but also led to Riddle needing to fulfill her unconventional promise. In his on court interview following his victory, a reporter handed Fritz a jar of vegemite, to which Fritz said, “I won’t be partaking but I’ll make sure it happens.”
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Taylor Fritz’s Milestone Win Backfires for Girlfriend Morgan Riddle