American fifth seed Taylor Fritz cruised into his third Wimbledon quarterfinal on Sunday after opponent Jordan Thompson retired with a thigh injury while trailing 6-1, 3-0 in their fourth-round clash.
The Australian, who entered the tournament nursing a back issue, struggled from the outset and called a medical timeout early in the second set for treatment on his right thigh. After briefly attempting to continue, Thompson conceded the match, ending his grueling campaign that included two five-set battles in earlier rounds.
Fritz dominated from the start, firing three aces in a commanding first-set performance. The 27-year-old has been the tournament’s most prolific server, leading all players with 79 aces so far—14 more than second-placed Nicolás Jarry of Chile.
“Not the way I wanted to go through,” said Fritz, who expressed sympathy for his opponent. “I was excited to play good tennis today. Jordan’s been battling through tough matches here—I respect him for competing. I feel bad for him and hope he recovers soon.”
The 2023 U.S. Open finalist, now the highest-ranked American man remaining, will next face 17th-seeded Karen Khachanov as he seeks to become the first U.S. men’s champion since Pete Sampras in 2000. Fritz arrives in strong form, having claimed grass-court titles this season in Stuttgart and Eastbourne.
Thompson’s injury-addled exit capped a valiant tournament run that included a second-round upset of 12th seed Casper Ruud. Meanwhile, Fritz remains on course to surpass his previous Wimbledon best—a quarterfinal finish in 2022—as he continues America’s quest for Grand Slam glory.