Alexander Zverev beat Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 59 minutes on Wednesday to reach his first Wimbledon semi-final. The German second seed ended a seven-match losing run against the American at the All England Club. He will face British wildcard Arthur Fery on Friday for a place in the final.
Who won, Zverev or Fritz?
Zverev won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, closing out the match in just under two hours. The victory ended a run of seven straight defeats to Fritz and lifted the second seed into his maiden Wimbledon semi-final after nine previous appearances at the tournament.
What happened to Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon?
Fritz struggled with his movement in 32C heat throughout the quarter-final. He took a medical time-out early in the second set to receive treatment on his right knee. Despite continuing, the American surrendered the decisive break in the ninth game of the second set, a moment Zverev celebrated loudly.
The sixth seed was appearing in his fourth Wimbledon quarter-final in five years. He had not lost to Zverev since the 2024 Italian Open, and the pair's last meeting at Wimbledon, in the 2024 last 16, saw Fritz recover from two sets down to win. This time, Fritz will have to wait for the US Open, where he was runner-up two years ago, for his next shot at a maiden Grand Slam title.
What did Zverev say to Fritz?
Zverev spoke warmly of the win afterward, calling it a relief after two years without a victory over Fritz. "I'm extremely happy to be in the semi-finals, especially against Taylor who I hadn't beaten in two years," he said.
He also reflected on his difficult Wimbledon history, having lost in the first round in 2025. "It's a dream come true to finally play well at Wimbledon, I've waited a long time for it," Zverev added, noting that a year earlier he was already practising on hard courts by this stage.
Has Fery played Zverev before?
The pair have not previously met, and their Friday clash will be a first for both players at this stage of a major. Zverev will be the first German man to reach a Wimbledon men's semi-final since Tommy Haas in 2009, and only the third German man in the Open era to reach the last four at every Grand Slam, following Boris Becker and Michael Stich, Germany's last Wimbledon men's champion in 1991.
Fery, the world number 114, will have home support behind him. Zverev acknowledged as much on court: "It's ok, you guys can all be for Fery, I understand it. I hope it is good for me, not so good for everyone else." He added, referencing the wildcard's run, "Obviously it's a 'Fery-tale' story for him, see what I did there?"
What is next for Zverev at Wimbledon?
Zverev arrives at this stage as a Grand Slam champion for the first time, having won his maiden major at the French Open earlier this year. He is now considered a serious contender even on grass, historically his weakest surface. The winner of Friday's semi-final will face either reigning champion and world number one Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in the final.
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