Novak Djokovic knocked out after Carlos Alcaraz has excuse for loss

On Thursday, Daniil Medvedev revealed that Taylor Fritz once branded him a “cheat” during a practice session at Wimbledon a few years ago.

“So we’re playing, and I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I called some out where I thought the ball was out. Then my wife — I think at the time she was even maybe a girlfriend to me — talks to me after the practice and says that he was talking to his coach and was, like, Damn this guy, he cheats all the time,” the world No. 5 said.

“I was so shocked because I really, especially on practice, I honestly don’t really care if I win in practice set or lose. I always try to win, but whatever.”

Medvedev encouraged reporters to ask Fritz for his own version of events and the American responded a day later, explaining that it wasn’t “deep”.

“Yeah, I heard about this. I don’t fully remember it. I think if I said something, I feel like I remember maybe he gave me, like, maybe he just gave me a bad call,” the world No. 12 replied.

“I do it all the time. Like, someone makes a bad call in practice, I’ll turn to my coach, be like, He just hooked me so bad there or gave me such a bad call.

“Like, I don’t really care, but I know there are, no one’s trying to do it on purpose. I make a comment, Yeah, that was a really bad call. But if that happened, that’s what happened. I wasn’t, like, Oh, he’s cheating me so bad. Definitely, it’s not, like, it’s not that deep.”