By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Picture credit score: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty
Wimbledon—Serving is Taylor Fritz’s robust go well with.
Making a proper entrance on No. 1 Courtroom, a fashion-forward Fritz spent his Wimbledon opener dressing down Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to fly into the Wimbledon second spherical.
Clad in an ivory go well with from his sponsor, Hugo Boss, Fritz performed streamlined tennis and was practically untouchable on serve.
Fritz served 66 %, gained 40 of 48 first-serve factors, pumped 14 aces in opposition to no double faults and saved the one break level he confronted in an impeccably-tailored one hour, 41-minute victory.
The day after Naomi Osaka lit up Wimbledon style carrying a pristine white kimono on courtroom, Fritz raised his fashion sport as nicely, although he’s not fairly positive how his followers will reply.
“I believe Boss got here to me with the thought of eager to do it, and so we did it,” Fritz mentioned. “You understand, I wasn’t 100% positive how I felt, however after seeing the photographs after the match, I really feel prefer it seemed all proper.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I believe persons are going to be torn. I believe some persons are going to love it and a few persons are going to suppose that anybody who’s dressed as much as stroll out is doing an excessive amount of.”
The go well with wasn’t the one distinction for Fritz, who was scheduled to face fellow former Indian Wells champion Jack Draper in a blockbuster opening-round conflict. Draper withdrew yesterday after struggling a recurrence of a left arm damage and opening the door for fortunate loser Lajovic to take his place.
Fritz, whose 5 profession grass-court titles are second amongst lively males to Novak Djokovic (eight grass-court championships), mentioned he carried confidence from his run to the Wimbledon semifinals final July and a few garden finals in Stuttgart and Halle the place he misplaced to compatriots Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, respectively.
The fourth-seeded Shelton did not convert a match level right now bowing to Otto Virtanen in 5 units, leaving Fritz because the highest-ranked American man.
“Clearly my confidence must be excessive based mostly off of, you understand, how the grass courtroom season has gone for me. However most likely somewhat extra nervy than earlier years, as a result of I get in that rhythm,” Fritz mentioned. “I win Eastbourne, I come right here, and it’s like simply enjoying matches nearly day by day.
“It’s nearly like I do know there isn’t any doubt after I step on the courtroom that I’m going to play to a sure degree, I’m going to play nicely. I simply deliver a bit extra confidence. I wish to play.”
Sporting the go well with for the walk-on wrapped Fritz in a novel stress.
“Possibly no more nervous, however you present up in a full outfit and get snipped within the first spherical, you type of look silly,” Fritz mentioned. “You look actually silly, actually.”
On at the present time, Fritz was commanding. Fritz will face compatriot Patrick Kypson as he performs for a Wimbledon third spherical spot for the fifth time within the final six years.
In the case of formal put on, Fritz mentioned he had only one request.
“Actually, for the very first thing they despatched me, I believed it was fairly stable,” Fritz mentioned. “Then simply I suppose the becoming course of and me saying, like, If we’re going to do pants, they want to have the ability to come off simply on the courtroom. That’s what I did.
“I used to be not sure, game-time determination on the headscarf. I wasn’t positive about it, however I believed it seemed all proper.”
