What’s tennis without a little razzle-dazzle, right? Wimbledon 2025 is serving up an unforgettable blend of triumphs and dramatic exits. And American players are squarely in the spotlight. Shockingly, the All England Club has already seen five American seeded players depart. Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula made early exits. Frances Tiafoe followed close with a second-round loss. And adding to the tournament’s drama, Taylor Fritz, battling through extended matches, faced fresh controversy!

On Wednesday, the No. 5 seed took on Canada’s Gabriel Diallo. Taylor entered the match after a grueling 109 total games since his big win at the Eastbourne Open last week. He fought through another five-setter in a three-hour, six-minute battle. The result? A hard-earned victory: 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-3! But it hasn’t been as smooth as it sounds.

Taylor Fritz came into the match without a break. Why? In his opening match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, play was halted due to the 11 p.m. curfew at Wimbledon. Safe to say, Fritz was left frustrated! He argued that he didn’t want the suspension, while his opponent did. But today, it seemed like the rules were overlooked, allowing him to compete with just a minor halt after the fourth set. But tennis journalist Stephanie Myles pointed out something on X: “Ranking has its privileges. FAA and Struff are at one set all. But suspended for darkness at 8:45 p.m. Diallo v No. 5 seed Fritz at two sets to one Fritz, on a quick break as they close the roof and put the lights on No. 1 Court.”

Myles was referring to the R2 match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jan-Lennard Struff. They played on an outside court—not Centre Court or Court 1, which perhaps may not have roofs and lights. When darkness fell, usually around 8:30-9:00 p.m. in early July in London, play had to be suspended. There are no lights on those courts. However, the same was not done for Fritz and Diallo.

Now, Fritz is the No. 5 seed, a higher-profile player. However, their match was on No. 1 Court, which, like Centre Court, has a retractable roof and artificial lights. When it got dark, or for rain, Wimbledon officials could close the roof and turn on the lights. This allows play to continue much later, up to the 11 p.m. curfew.

On the other hand, with this win, it’s good news for Taylor and the American fraternity. He’s been a quarterfinalist in 2022 and 2024! Could he go further this time? He often shines in lead-up grass tournaments, holding 60 wins and 31 losses, including four Eastbourne Open titles. He’s quite pleased with his performance.

Taylor Fritz on his round two victory against time

After his tough win over Diallo, Taylor opened up about the match’s challenges. “That’s an incredibly hard match,” he said. Reflecting on the fourth set he lost, Fritz added, “I really don’t think there’s much I did wrong at all.” He even sustained a cut on his elbow after diving for a break point while trailing 3-2 in that set. Despite the injury, he managed to return the ball, but Diallo won the point and held serve.

Interestingly, after his first round, Fritz also shared his thoughts on the Wimbledon courts, showing he’s comfortable on the grass. Asked if the speed of the courts felt right, he replied, “I think the speed is pretty solid.” He added an interesting observation: “One thing I have realized this year that I haven’t realized before, with all the tournaments that I have been playing, is that I do feel like the grass is getting slower the more it gets played on.” That’s some great insight straight from the player!

But mow, after a grueling schedule and no real break since the suspension drama, Taylor Fritz has only one thing on his mind! “Tomorrow is going to be a very, a very light hit,” he noted. “I think I’ve played plenty of tennis. I’m very due a nice, relaxing day.” It’s exciting to see how he bounces back when he faces his next opponent on Friday, July 4. Until then, keep up with all the Wimbledon excitement through our Live Blog!