- Alexander Zverev denies allegations of abuse by two different women
- Morgan Riddle posted a series of messages – later deleted – that appeared to refer to the German player, who lost to Riddle’s friend Taylor Fritz on Monday
- Riddle has now attempted to explain her decision to delete her Instagram story
Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle has broken her silence after deleting Instagram posts that seemingly referenced allegations of abuse by his opponent Alexander Zverev.
Riddle, ifSocial media influencer with 17.2 million likes on TikTok partners with Wimbledon to produce content, deleted an Instagram video of her enjoying a drink, with the caption, “when your man wins for the girls.”
Earlier, while the match was still going on, she also posted a photo of the field in her story and wrote: ‘Cheer loudly ladies’. This photo has also since been removed.
Fans quickly tried to connect the dots and suggest that Riddle was indirectly referring to Fritz’s opponent Zverev, who was accused in court documents last year of physically abusing a woman in 2020.
Last month he agreed to a settlement in the case, in which he said he would pay £184,148 to Brenda Patea, the mother of his child, but was found not guilty of any wrongdoing (Patea has publicly referred to himself as the victim in the case).
Less than 24 hours later, Riddle explained to her 320,000 Instagram followers why she deleted her posts so quickly.
Morgan Riddle deleted Instagram posts Monday that appeared to be aimed at Alexander Zverev
Riddle posted a story saying ‘cheer loudly ladies’ during the five-set match on Centre Court
Riddle, a popular social media influencer, watched her boyfriend Fritz Zverev defeat
“Regarding my stories yesterday… I immediately deleted them when I realized the misunderstandings and how much the media had blown them out of proportion,” she said.
‘It wasn’t about anything that happened off the tennis court and there is no animosity between the two.
‘Super proud of T [Taylor] for yesterday’s game, thanks to the crowd for the support and I look forward to tomorrow.’
After the match, a row broke out when Zverev took aim at people in Fritz’s penalty area, which many saw as criticism of Riddle.
After the five-set match that saw Fritz advance to the last eight at Wimbledon, a tense exchange of words broke out between the two players at the net, with Zverev exchanging a few words with his opponent.
The German said afterwards that he was angry with some of the people in Fritz’s box who ‘may not come from the tennis world.’
“His team is extremely respectful. I think his coach, his physiotherapist, and also his second coach, are extremely respectful,” Zverev said.
“I think there are other people in the box who may not be from the tennis world, who may not have watched every match. They were a little bit over the top.”
Riddle has built a large following on social media by showcasing her life around tennis
Riddle and Taylor Fritz, the world number 14 in tennis, have been in a relationship for four years
Riddle appeared in high spirits on the Wimbledon court on Tuesday morning. She was busy with filming for the team when she stepped onto the empty Centre Court with Rufus the Hawk.
The quarrel continued into the morning, despite attempts by friend Fritz to calm it down.
Fritz gave an interview with The Tennis Channel late Monday night to shed more light on the feud.
‘I think he was a little bit angry that my teammates were cheering me on when he was injured, but he said, “It’s nothing to do with you. You’re all good…” Whatever, it’s all good.’
Fritz added: ‘I didn’t just wish him a flight home.’
More to follow.