1 week ago
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American tennis fans were astonished by the sight of Taylor Fritz's coach doing a live interview on ESPN during the quarter-final against Novak Djokovic - in which he described his own player's loss of one game as 'atrocious'.
ESPN have been speaking to players' coaches during the matches this year but it was bizarre to hear Fritz's coach Michael Russell speak with such frankness during one of the biggest matches of his life.
Early in the third set, with Fritz trailing by two sets to love, Russell was interviewed by John McEnroe and Brad Gilbert on ESPN.
Referring to a game at the end of the second set when Fritz conceded the break, Russell said: 'The 5-5 game was atrocious. A donation. That's why we sent him off court (after the second set).
'He's giving Novak too much credit - just stay in the rally and find a forehand to go after. A lot of it is psychological, he has lost to him 10 times, but it's the US Open - get the crowd involved and just relax.'
This all in the middle of a game, with Russell fist-pumping away to Fritz while talking.
Taylor Fritz's coach Michael Russell was mic'd up at various points of the quarter-final
He described the loss of one of Fritz's games as 'atrocious' while speaking live on ESPN
Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle was alongside Russell in Fritz's player box in New York
It was certainly insightful for fans, but it was strange, with his player giving his all under searing pressure on court, to hear Russell chatting away with such negativity.
Viewers were quick to pick up on it on ESPN, several posting on X calling it 'embarrassing'.
Fritz had earlier gone viral on social media for accidentally wearing his sponsored headband upside down.
What was meant to read 'BOSS' instead looked like 'SSOB' to the millions watching on TV at home, with the wardrobe malfunction dominating online chatter through the early part of the match.
