PARIS — Taylor Fritz stepped onto the clay at Roland Garros on Sunday morning with more than just a Grand Slam on his mind. The No. 7 seed is navigating the 2026 French Open as a newly single man, following the end of his six-year relationship with influencer Morgan Riddle.
Fritz is in the midst of a tense first-round battle against fellow American Nishesh Basavareddy, trailing by a set and locked in a heated tiebreaker. It's a test of focus for a player who has made deep runs at Wimbledon and the US Open but has yet to conquer the Parisian dirt.
A New Chapter Off the Court
News of the split broke on April 25, with PEOPLE confirming that Riddle ended the relationship. Other sources described the breakup as mutual. Representatives for both have not commented.
Riddle became one of tennis's most visible off-court personalities, amassing a large social media following by documenting life on tour. She created viral videos aimed at making tennis "cool" again for younger audiences—a mission Fritz fully supported.
“I think what she did was awesome for our sport. It got a ton of people looking at it,” Fritz said previously. “I don’t understand how anyone can get upset about it. I’m the one that’s a professional tennis player, I’m the one that does this for a living. I 100 percent agree with everything in that video.”
Riddle echoed that sentiment, noting their shared goal of bringing tennis to a younger crowd. “I remember when him and I first met within the first week or two, one of the things that he told me is I just want tennis to be cooler in our generation. It’s just not,” she said.
Fritz's Path Ahead
Now, the 28-year-old must channel that energy into his game. The question is whether the emotional weight of a high-profile split will affect his performance on the biggest stage. His first-round opponent, Basavareddy, is no pushover, and the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier is already sensing an upset.
The 2026 French Open has already seen its share of drama, including Arthur Fils's sudden withdrawal, which left fans heartbroken. Meanwhile, tennis stars staged a media boycott over revenue disputes, adding another layer of tension to the tournament. And Novak Djokovic opted out of that boycott, choosing instead to back players' fight for fair pay in his own way.
For Fritz, the immediate task is clear: win the tiebreaker, level the match, and prove that he can keep his head in the game—even when his heart is elsewhere.
The 2026 French Open is airing live on TNT.
