"Nothing new, just me getting ripped for making a joke about Novak being better than everyone" - Taylor Fritz clarifies previous remarks on Novak Djokovic

Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Novak Djokovic's unvaccinated status against COVID-19, Taylor Fritz is the latest to comment on the issue.

In a press conference after his second-round win at the Cincinnati Masters against Nick Kyrgios, the 24-year-old American stated that he saw both sides of the argument. After putting forth his point of view, Fritz joked about how suitable it would be for other players if Djokovic were to miss the tournament.

“We're not the most COVID-safe country in general with how we are doing things. 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),” Fritz said.

Apparently, the joke didn't go down well with some of the Serb's fans, who saw it as the reason why not many players openly supported Djokovic. Fritz decided to respond and explain that what he said was meant to be taken as a joke and in fact, was a compliment for the 21-time Grand Slam champion.

"Nothing new just me getting ripped for making a joke about Novak being better than everyone. 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," Fritz tweeted.

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Taylor Fritz to face Andrey Rublev in 3R of Cincinnati Masters

Andrey Rublev (L) and Taylor Fritz at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters

In their first-ever match against each other, 11th seed Taylor Fritz outclassed Nick Kyrgios 6-3. 6-2 in just 51 minutes in the second round of the Western and Southern Open. The 13th-ranked American hit a staggering 16 aces, compared to just seven from the in-form World No. 28. Kyrgios struggled with a knee problem during the match, forcing him to request a medical timeout.

Fritz, who won 86% of his first-serve points, broke the Aussie thrice, while Kyrgios could not manage to create an opportunity to break the 24-year-old. In his first-round match, the American defeated Argentine Sebastian Baez in straight sets.

The next opponent for Fritz is sixth seed Andrey Rublev. The two hard-hitting players will meet for the sixth time on the tour, with the American leading the head-to-head 3-2. In his second round match, the eighth-ranked Russian came back from a set down to beat Italy's Fabio Fognini 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 6-2.