Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend’s cheeky post after Wimbledon handshake drama

A storm has erupted at Wimbledon after a star player’s girlfriend was accused of being “too crazy” before she gave a stinging reply.

Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev shared a frosty handshake after the American mounted a wild comeback to move through to the quarter-finals on Tuesday morning.

Zverev told his opponent he was irked by how some in Fritz’s box had acted late in the match.

The German was in a foul mood after giving up a two-sets lead before losing 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

Zverev appeared to be cruising towards his first quarter-final at the All England Club before everything changed in the third set when the 13th seed broke his opponent’s serve — the first time big-serving Zverev had been broken in the entire tournament.

The gloss on Fritz’s massive win has been taken off by the late drama when Zverev took offense to how those in Fritz’s box acted late in the match when he appeared to be struggling with an injury.

Fritz told ESPN after the match Zverev had complained about those in his box “being too crazy”.

You can watch the prickly handshake in the video player above

Alexander Zverev called Taylor Fritz back. Photo: STAN Sport.

Taylor Fritz (rear) speaks with Germany's Alexander Zverev. Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP.

“I think he was a little upset about my team members cheering for me when he’s injured... but he said it’s nothing to do with you, it’s all good.”

Referencing his brutal sledge to France’s Arthur Rinderknech when he told his opponent to “have a nice flight home”, Fritz said of Zverev: “It’s all good. I wasn’t wishing him a good flight home”.

Zverev told reporters after the match his frustration was directed at those in Fritz’s box that didn’t watch all of his opponent’s matches.

Those comments have been widely interpreted to have been a subtle dig at Fritz’s partner Morgan Riddle.

The American WAG has become one of the highest profile partners on the tennis circuit and has stolen the show at previous tournaments.

Zverev didn’t appear to be enjoying her behaviour.

He let Fritz know about it as they shook hands at the end of the match and twice called Fritz back to continue their brief exchange.

“His team is extremely respectful. I think his coach, his physio, also his second coach, they’re extremely respectful,” Zverev said.

“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.”

Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev and Morgan Riddle. Photo: Instagram and Stan Sport.

Riddle responded with her own subtle response when sharing a video on TikTok and Instagram.

She was seen celebrating and drinking out of a wine glass and shared the clip with a caption of: “Cheer loud ladies. When ur man wins 4 the girls”.

Her caption appeared to be a subtle reference to previous domestic violence allegations made against Zverev.

Despite the storm, the smile couldn’t be taken off Fritz’s face.

“It was amazing to do that on Centre Court, two sets down in front of this crowd. It’s a dream,” he said.

“The thing was I still felt I was playing really well for being down two sets. I was just thinking it sucked to be playing this well and to lose in straights.

“So let’s take the third, I took it one at a time. I had that belief. It was just a couple of points here and there.” The American, who hit a total of 69 winners against 23 unforced errors, will face Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the quarter-finals.

Fritz spread his arms wide and roared as he celebrated his epic fightback in a match lasting nearly three-and-a-half hours.

Morgan Riddle celebrates on Centre Court. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.

Morgan Riddle appeared to take a thinly-veiled swipe at Alexander Zverev.

It is his second appearance in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after he lost a five-set thriller to Rafael Nadal in 2022.

Defeat for Zverev means the German, who reached the semi-finals at the 2024 Australian Open and was runner-up at Roland Garros last month, has still never reached the last eight at Wimbledon.

Zverev admitted he was struggling with a knee injury, but said he is not in doubt to play at the Paris Olympics.

Zverev said he had struggled physically as a result of a knee injury he picked up in his win against Cameron Norrie.

“I was on one leg today,” said the German, who played with a support on his left knee.

“It is nothing that I need surgery on,” he added. “It is nothing that doesn’t heal by itself. It just needs time.

“I do know that also I had a great opportunity here at Wimbledon. I didn’t want to pull out. Yesterday I couldn’t practise at all. Yesterday I couldn’t walk even.

“Today I felt much, much better. That’s why I did try to play. I also knew I did have a great opportunity this year at Wimbledon. It’s the best I’ve probably ever felt on the Wimbledon courts.

— with AFP