Taylor Fritz’s Dad Spits on Team Member While Trying to Whistle

Alex Michelsen improved his head-to-head record over Taylor Fritz to 2-0.

Taylor Fritz’s Dad Spits on Team Member While Trying to Whistle

Taylor Fritz's dad spat on a team member (Image via X/Jose Moron, em)

In Short
  • Taylor Fritz lost to Alex Michelsen in the third round of Indian Wells with a score of 6-4, 7-6(6).
  • A video of Fritz's dad, Guy Fritz, accidentally spitting on a team member while trying to whistle has gone viral.
  • Michelsen achieved his biggest career win by defeating World No. 7 Fritz, improving his head-to-head record to 2-0 against him.

Taylor Fritz once again suffered defeat without making a deep run. In the ongoing Indian Wells, Fritz’s campaign ended with a 6-4, 7-6(6) defeat to Alex Michelsen in the third round on Monday (March 9).

A clip of Fritz’s dad, Guy Fritz, from that match is going viral on social media. During the 11th game of the second set, Fritz won a point to tie it to 30-30.

As the camera panned toward Guy, who sat cheering for his son and also tried to whistle, he inadvertently spat on a team member who sat on the right.

Here’s the video:

Fritz, who clinched the 2022 Indian Wells by defeating Rafael Nadal, has yet to win another Big Title. He, in fact, has not reached a Masters 1000 final since that win. Last year in the Masters 1000s, the 28-year-old made two semifinals, at the Miami Open and at the Canadian Open, while at Indian Wells, he lost in the fourth round to eventual champion Jack Draper.

Alex Michelsen analyzes his match against Taylor Fritz

Alex Michelsen clinched his career’s biggest win by knocking out World No.7 Taylor Fritz to improve his head-to-head record to 2-0. Michelsen, who smashed nine aces to Fritz’s 12, said his service games helped him overcome the seventh seed.

Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz (Image via X/Jose Morgado)

I felt like I was solid as a rock. I think, put a lot of turns in play at one all when I broke him. I think that was really big. Made him play a lot, and I was serving super well the whole day. So I think that if I didn’t serve well, I didn’t think I had a chance against him. So the serving was the key for me today.

Alex Michelsen said during his interview with Tennis Channel

Prior to beating his compatriot, Michelsen had earned two top-10 wins, defeating Alex de Minaur (ranked 9th) at the 2024 Los Cabos Open and later Lorenzo Musetti (ranked 10th) at the 2025 Canadian Open.

Well, they’re top 10 for a reason. They’re all so good at tennis. You’re in the top 10, you’re a joke at tennis, right? So I think you have to be even more locked in, which is hard to do because everybody in the top 100 is also unreal at tennis. So I think you have to be even more locked in, pumped up, and ready. At least for me, ‘coz I’m one of those guys that likes to bring the energy. My buddy Learner [Tien], he’s a little more quiet, so everyone’s a little different, right?

Alex Michelsen added

The only time the 21-year-old made a deep run at a Masters 1000 event was in last year’s Canadian Open, losing to Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. Michelsen has so far played three tour-level finals, last reaching the stage in the 2024 Winston-Salem Open by defeating Lorenzo Sonego.

He will next be locking horns with Daniil Medvedev, who downed Sebastian Baez in the previous round. The Russian, who is playing at Indian Wells after escaping the Dubai ordeal amidst the war across the Middle East and Gulf region, is chasing his third title of the season, following his wins in Brisbane and Dubai.

Medvedev defeated Brandson Nakashima in the ATP 250 event and received a walkover from Tallon Griekspoor in the ATP 500 event. The 2021 US Open champion, also a two-time finalist in the California desert, holds a 3-0 head-to-head lead over the World No.44. In the previous two Indian Wells finals, the former World No.1 lost to current World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz. Medvedev has yet to win a Big Title since winning the 2023 Italian Open.

Also read: Alexander Zverev Explains What Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz Are Doing Differently Than Previous Generation