Taylor Fritz credits girlfriend Morgan Riddle after Wimbledon win sends him to semifinal

LONDON — Morgan knows best, apparently. Taylor Fritz thought the motivational note he wrote to himself after losing at Wimbledon four years ago would stay private. His girlfriend, influencer Morgan Riddle, later shared it on social media. "That note was never supposed to be public," a smiling Fritz said Tuesday after his 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) win over Karen Khachanov set up a semifinal meeting with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Fritz had written to himself in the note that "nobody in the whole world is underachieving harder than you" and urged himself to get his act together. Not only does Fritz forgive Riddle, he credits her for having such a big impact on him rising to No. 5 in the world rankings in pursuit of his first Grand Slam title. "There's been a pretty constant results-and-ranking rise since we've been together," Fritz said. "I think I would have to say she's been a big help to me just kind of keeping me focused, having someone who cares and just pushes you to just do better and do the right things, be healthier. "Almost like kind of just mother me in a way," he added, chuckling to himself, "with like, the diet and going to sleep on time." A smiling Fritz later added: "Yeah, that maybe wasn't the best choice of words." The 27-year-old American, the runner-up at last year's U.S. Open, didn't face a break point in the first two sets against No. 17 Khachanov, who rebounded in the third set. It was 4-all in the fourth-set tiebreaker before Fritz claimed the final three points on Court No. 1. It's the first time Fritz has reached the last four at Wimbledon. He's won two grass-court titles this season — Stuttgart and Eastbourne — and was happy he wouldn't be facing Alcaraz on clay, which would be "an absolute nightmare." "Grass is very much so an equalizer. It can be an equalizer. So trust in how I'm playing," he said. "I truly know the way that I played the first two sets today, there's not much any opponent on the other side can do."