Leading American tennis player Taylor Fritz let his skills do the talking on Tuesday, reaching his first Wimbledon semifinal after defeating Karen Khachanov in four sets. But he wasn’t done there and fired back at his League of Legends critics with a perfect punchline that shows his love of Summoner’s Rift.
“Someone on League of Legends told me to go touch grass, so I did,” Taylor said on X (formerly Twitter) after he became the only American man to reach the semifinals or better at a non-hardcourt major at Wimbledon 2025.
“Go touch grass” is a popular internet phrase often used to insult someone who spends too much time online or gaming indoors. League isn’t a stranger to toxicity, and phrases like this are common when a player performs well, with opponents using them to throw them off their game.
For Taylor, however, the “touch grass” jab didn’t age well—either in the game or outside of it. His exceptional tennis skills carried him past his opponent in four sets, and in League, he also holds his own. Fritz has reached Emerald 3 in ranked queue, which shows he’s a dedicated player even off the tennis court.
According to his OP.gg profile, he’s currently Platinum 3 and loves playing the jungle role. His dominant and comfort pick seems to be Viego, followed by Warwick and Shyvana. He sometimes streams on his Twitch channel and is also seen playing with professional esports players, such as Velja, who coaches the tennis pro in his ranked matches.
Taylor Fritz will face the legendary Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday in a bid to secure his spot in the finals.
