Taylor Fritz 'torn apart' after making comment about Wimbledon icon Novak Djokovic

Tennis icon Novak Djokovic's fans were riled up when Taylor Fritz made a quip about the Serb's exclusion from the 2022 US Open. But the American swiftly hit back and highlighted his detractors clearly misunderstood his remarks.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a significant concern back in the summer of 2022, which led to US regulations that barred non-citizens from competing without vaccination proof. This sidelined Djokovic from that year's Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows, much to the quiet relief of his competitors.

Fritz was preparing for the season's final major when he cheekily addressed the situation. But his light-hearted advocacy for the event's organisers to let 'Nole' play, despite not being vaccinated, flew over the heads of many diehard Djokovic fans.

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The 27-year-old weighed in after clinching victory over Nick Kyrgios in the second round of the Cincinnati Open. And he noted the United States' Covid-19 protocols while acknowledging both sides of a very important argument at the time.

"We're not the most Covid-safe country in general with how we are doing things," he told reporters (via Daily Express). "So it does seem like what's the harm of letting the best player in the world come play the US Open?

"But at the same time, I don't know how I feel about making exceptions just for one person just because of who they are. So I see both sides of the argument. It's good for every player if Novak is not in the draw [smiles]."

Not everyone was amused by those remarks, which sparked outrage among Djokovic's most loyal supporters. So much so that Fritz felt compelled to clarify his jest was purely in good fun and, if anything, intended as a compliment to his competitor.

"Nothing new just me getting ripped for making a joke about Novak being better than everyone," he posted on X. "The issue with press transcripts is it's just raw text and it's not clear the manner in how things are said. What I jokingly said, felt like a compliment to Novak more than anything else."

Both Djokovic and Fritz were ousted from the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively. This leaves them eyeing this year's US Open as their final opportunity to clinch Grand Slam glory in 2025.

Despite many of Djokovic's fans taking umbrage at Fritz's Covid comments, the 24-time major champion himself seemed unperturbed. This is evident as the pair have since reconnected, and there doesn't seem to be any lingering animosity between them.

Fritz made a remarkably swift recovery in 2021 when he tore his meniscus at the French Open, underwent surgery, and then triumphed at Wimbledon just 20 days later. He disclosed last year that Djokovic had "reached out" to him for advice as he aimed to make his own speedy recovery from a similar injury.

Fritz opened up about their 2024 conversation, revealing: "I told him what it was like for me. A lot of it comes down to the inflammation and how you react.

"It's possible for Novak to play. It's the exact same thing that I had and I played. Obviously, I wasn't contending to win a title, I was just showing up to hopefully win a couple of rounds - but it is possible."