Tennis and broadcasters seem to be in a topsy-turvy relationship. At the French Open and Wimbledon Championships, tennis fans complained of faulty broadcasting. A few matches were not made available live for the fans. However, this time, the scenario is a bit different. Instead of fans, it is the tennis star, Taylor Fritz, who has some issues with ESPN. Hence, when the broadcasters took a moment to celebrate Fritz’s US Open journey. The American tennis star didn’t let the moment slide as he took a cheeky dig for their love for his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle.

The American tennis star is also the favorite contender for the Grand Slam after successfully making it to the 2nd week of the US Open. Moreover, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s exit from the Grand Slam turned the tables in Fritz’s favor. In addition to advancing to the R4 of the tournament, Fritz is the first American to reach the 2nd week of all the majors in 2024. It was a feat last achieved almost 2 decades back by Andre Agassi.

On the occasion of his R3 win and emulating Andre Agassi’s record. The sports broadcaster ESPN celebrated Fritz’s victory with a shout-out on X. They posted, “Taylor Fritz becomes the first American man to reach the second week at all four majors in a year since Andre Agassi in 2003 (claps).” It didn’t take Fritz to respond to the post while opening up about the beef with the broadcaster. Fritz tweeted the following caption:

In a surprising turn of events, ESPN follows Fritz’s partner, Riddle’s, Instagram handle but not the World No.12’s. The sport’s broadcaster going for the partner, overshadowing the professional tennis player, certainly highlights the irony of the situation. And Fritz made sure to remind them to catch him on Instagram, as he tries to catch the US Open with his racquet! However, ESPN going for Riddle first shouldn’t come as a surprise to the tennis community. As the famous influencer has been at the forefront off the court, doing her bit for tennis!

Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle’s tryst with tennis

According to the New York Times front page, Riddle is “The most famous woman in men’s tennis.” The fashion influencer has made it to the front page of Vogue, and partnering with the Wimbledon Championships for a unique venture, “ Wimbledon Threads.” These are just a few of the many ventures that the famous influencer is associated with while traveling on the tour with her boyfriend. It seems that ESPN is not at fault for following Riddle first, as she gives them all the latest off-the-court happening while they cover on-the-court events!

Moreover, she has recently highlighted the role of WAGs in transforming sports in America.  In an interview with Glossy, she said, “The fangirls are the ones who are making the memes, making the merch, blowing things up on social media, and making the viral TikToks about the drivers or the players.” While demanding respect for the women in tennis, who are promoting the sport. She further remarked, “People tend to look down on women in sports. But I’m like, ‘This is who is growing the sport.’ So have a little respect there.””

From showcasing another side of the story at the Olympics and supporting her boyfriend, Riddle certainly has become a highlight of the tennis WAGs. However, ESPN should keep the counts even for the players and partners. As Taylor Fritz, is more than ready to remind people that he is there on the court!