French Open 2023: Home fans 'don't do their player any favours' says Mats Wilander after Taylor Fritz booing

Taylor Fritz was on the end of some rowdy treatment at the French Open on Thursday night, but Mats Wilander thinks the «charged up» behaviour of the home fans may have been counter-productive. Fritz knocked out Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the second round, but it was the vociferous participation of the crowd that was the talking point afterwards, with Fritz shushing the crowd at the end of the match, and then again during his brief interview on court, which contained a degree of irony. Ad «They cheered so well for me, I wanted to make sure I won.

Thanks guys,» the American said. Roland-Garros'I love that' — McEnroe impressed by Fritz shushing hostile crowd8 HOURS AGO The intention of the Roland-Garros faithful had clearly been to give their man a boost, but Wilander suggested Fritz — and others facing French players — could be the real beneficiaries. He said: «When you’re playing a Frenchman on Lenglen late at night, fans have been here all day and there’s no either French men or women left in the draw, they would’ve ganged up on Fritz to help Rinderknech get through.

»He won the first set, and they got even more charged up. He handled it very well. I don’t think they necessarily mean to boo players, but they’re very engaged and enthusiastic this year.

You have to use the crowd somehow whether they’re for you or against you. «I think when they are on your case, you get involved with them and then that helps you get fired up. »I don’t think the French crowd, when they do that, they don’t do their home player any favours, they’re actually charging the foreigner up.

«It’s sports; they’re having fun. Taylor Fritz played against a Frenchman, It's not that big a deal. »I’d think they’re a bit more involved here than if you