'You can't walk out in an outfit and go out first round'
'Nobody does it like Roger' - Fritz on Federer inspired outfit
- Published
A first-round defeat at Wimbledon is something every player wants to avoid - especially after making a statement entrance on to court in a tailored suit.
Fortunately for Taylor Fritz, he escaped that fate after stepping out on Court One in a suit reminiscent of Roger Federer's iconic outfit from 2007.
The American sixth seed arrived in style for his first-round match against Dusan Lajovic - wearing an all-white blazer and trouser combo over his usual tennis attire.
He backed up his grand arrival with a dominant 6-3 6-4 6-3 win over the Serb, but later revealed the outfit had made him more nervous than usual.
"You show up in a full outfit and get snipped in the first round, you kind of look stupid," Fritz said.
"You look really stupid, honestly."
When you've got Wimbledon at 1 and a fashion show at 5
Fashion-inspired arrivals are not new in tennis, with Naomi Osaka recently dazzling crowds with her on-court outfits.
The former world number one from Japan arrived for her opening match at SW19 in an elegant, full-length kimono - entirely white to adhere to the tournament's rules.
That was after the 28-year-old sparkled in a glittering gold tennis dress that resembled "the Eiffel Tower at night" at the French Open and a spectacular jellyfish-inspired outfit at January's Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic has also stepped up his fashion game at this year's Wimbledon, although he stopped short of wearing a full suit and opted for a custom-made Lacoste blazer for his first-round win over China's Wu Yibing.
But Fritz and compatriot Frances Tiafoe, the world number 19, have joked about the added pressure that comes with wearing statement clothing on court.
"I was having this conversation with Frances the other night, because he always had a bit of an outfit," Fritz said.
"We were making the joke, like, you can't walk out with an outfit and go out in the first round. It looks so bad."
Roger Federer wore a similar style suit at Wimbledon in 2007 when he won his fifth title at the All England Club
Fritz, who is among the favourites at this year's Wimbledon after a strong grass-court season, said he was not "100% sure" on the outfit when sponsor Hugo Boss proposed the idea.
"I wasn't 100% sure how I felt, but after seeing the pictures after the match, I feel like it looked all right," he added.
"They're my sponsor. They wanted me to do it. I thought the outfit looked good. I couldn't really back out of it.
"People are going to be torn. I think some people are going to like it and some people are going to think that anyone who is dressed up to walk out is doing too much."
Djokovic looked smart as he arrived for his first-round match in a custom-made white blazer with a green trim
