Chris Fowler criticizes Wimbledon officials for handling of Taylor Fritz, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard match suspension

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships Round 1 matchup between No. 5 seed Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was suspended Monday due to the SW19 curfew. Wimbledon suspended play ahead of the 11:00 p.m. curfew.

But at the time of the suspension, there was still more than 40 minutes left to play before the curfew, which is in place, in part, to allow attendees to get home via the subway before it stops running at midnight. Fritz, who had battled back from two sets down to level after a fourth-set tiebreak victory, was frustrated with the decision. Chris Fowler, calling the Alexander Zverev–Arthur Rinderknech match on Centre Court, was baffled by Wimbledon’s decision to suspend play till Tuesday.

“The curfew is at 11:00 p.m., so they agreed to put the two roofs in,” Fowler said. “It’s been about 15 years here and five years over on the No. 1 Court they’ve had the roof. It’s because the subway stops running at midnight and they want to get people home. I get that from a bigger picture sense, but it seems a little nutty to stop 40 minutes short of the curfew over there when we’ve had matches continue beyond the curfew on Centre Court.”

Three of the four sets lasted longer than 40 minutes. All three, however, included a tiebreaker. Set 3, which did not call for a tiebreaker, was played in 33 minutes. Fans on Court 1 immediately started booing as the decision was announced.

Taylor Fritz wanted to keep playing at Wimbledon

Fritz wanted to keep playing, and for good reason. He had Mpetshi Perricard on his heels, looking forward to finishing off the 21-year-old Frenchman in the fifth set.

“I couldn’t do anything,” Fritz said. “I tried.”

According to Fritz, the energy to continue wasn’t reciprocated by Mpetshi Perricard. He wrote on Instagram, “They would’ve let us play if my opponent agreed to, I said I wanted to he didn’t.”

Fritz, 27, arrived at the All England Club in London looking to win his first Grand Slam tournament. The American reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2022 and again in 2024. Mpetshi Perricard came into the match a heavy underdog to Fritz but has more than held his own. His 153 mph serve in Set 1 set a Wimbledon record.