Against Taylor Fritz in the third round of Wimbledon 2026, Lorenzo Sonego came out with a great game plan. He was hoping to serve huge and then volley with efficiency. It was old-school tennis, but one that still works on grass courts.
The Italian, hoping to ruin Fritz's Fourth of July celebration, took the first set 6-4 with a stunning display of serving prowess and an early break of the American. That was when Fritz took his level up a few notches.
In a stunning display of vulgar power, the American began serving in a way that constantly kept the Italian on defense. Instead of dictating play, Sonego was hoping to just survive Fritz's service game and then hold his own. He failed in sets two and three.
Taylor Fritz defeats Lorenzo Sonego in the third round of Wimbledon
Fritz roared back to take the second set 6-3, and then the third 6-4. Even in the games he lost, he appeared to be the alpha of the match. He never dipped in confidence, and he might have been as stunned as anyone as to what Sonego pulled off in the opening set.
Still, after leading two sets to one, many tennis fans might have assumed it was only a matter of time before the American fully overwhelmed the Italian and moved on to the fourth round. After all, while Sonego and Fritz were playing a classic grass-court match with quick games due to high-velocity serves, the American appeared to have the advantage.
After a tense fourth round that went quickly due to elite serving, the set ended in a tie-break. Sonego grabbed the lead with a mini-break, but Fritz got it back. He then elevated his play once again, hitting some volleys that will make him a threat in the second week of the major. He took the fourth set in the tie-break 7-5.
... will next play the winner of the Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Bublik match in the fourth round. Whoever wins that match could conceivably make a run at the Wimbledon 2026 title, as the serves will be huge and the court coverage elite.
