Morgan Riddle, Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend, clarifies a post apparently directed against Zverev

There was quite a tennis controversy on the internet after American Taylor Fritz defeated No. 4 Alexander Zverev in an incredible five-set comeback in their fourth-round match at Wimbledon on Monday.

The fuss started when Zverev apparently had a long conversation with Fritz at the net after the end of the match. Zverev said he was annoyed by people in Fritz’s box who “may not be from the tennis world,” which many took as a dig at Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle. Fritz later kept his explanation of what had been said brief, saying he wished Zverev all the best after the German apparently injured his knee.

However, Riddle appeared to add to the discussion by posting two Instagram stories with the captions “Cheer loud, girls” and “When your man wins for the girls.” Fans interpreted these posts as a comment on Zverev’s allegations of domestic violence by two of his former partners.

Riddle deleted both posts after stories emerged on social media about what the posts might mean. On Tuesday, she posted a clarification on Instagram.

“I removed them immediately when I realized there was a misunderstanding and how much the media had blown them up,” Riddle said. “They were not about anything that happened off the court and there is no bad blood between anyone.”

Fritz will face Italy’s No. 25 Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday for a spot in the semifinals on Friday, with the men’s singles final starting at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday.