Daniil Medvedev's wife overheard cheating claim in awkward Taylor Fritz Wimbledon incident

Wimbledon was abuzz with the prospect of a clash between tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz. Not just for their top-tier talents on the court, but also due to a past incident involving cheating allegations in practice.

This year's Wimbledon draw had placed Medvedev and Fritz in the same quadrant and set up a potential fourth-round showdown. However, Medvedev's Wimbledon journey was cut short by an unexpected loss to Benjamin Bonzi on Monday, while Fritz's opening match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was halted by the tournament's curfew at two sets apiece.

The backdrop to their anticipated meeting dates back to 2018 when Fritz reportedly accused Medvedev of "cheating" at SW19, an accusation that was overheard by the Russian's wife. The story resurfaced at last year's US Open, where Medvedev shared the anecdote, though both players can now reflect on it with a grin.

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"I have one funny story. I don't know if Taylor remembers it, Taylor Fritz," Medvedev told reporters in New York at the time (via the Daily Express). "If he can tell it, you can ask him next press conference from his side.

"We played Wimbledon. It would probably be 2018 or '19. So long ago. We both were not where we are right now. Brutally honest, I don't want to cheat [in] practice, but you know, sometimes you don't see the ball.

"It's like a challenge. Today I asked to show replay, and the ball was so much in, and in my head it was really close. Okay, it happens. So we're playing, and I don't remember exactly what it was, but I called some out where I thought the ball was out."

Medvedev continued his defence before revealing how his wife, Daria, became involved: "Then my wife - I think at the time she was even maybe a girlfriend to me - talks to me after the practice and says that he was talking to his coach and was like, 'Damn this guy, he cheats all the time.'

"I was so shocked because I really, especially [in] practice, I honestly don't really care if I win in practice set or lose. I always try to win, but whatever. To be honest, out of everyone on the tour, I don't think anyone [in] practice wants to cheat. So he was, like, apparently not happy with me."

World No. 5 Fritz responded to the accusation that he had been caught complaining. However, he dismissed the situation as being "not that deep."

"Yeah, I heard about this," he said in response last year. "I don't fully remember it. I think if I said something... I feel like I remember that maybe he just gave me a bad call. I do it all the time.

"Like if someone makes a bad call in practice, I'll turn to my coach and be like, 'He just hooked me so bad there,' or 'Gave me such a bad call.' I don't really care, I know no one's trying to do it on purpose. I make a comment, like yeah, that was a really bad call.

"But if that happened, that's what happened. I wasn't, like, 'Oh, he's cheating me so bad,'" he said with a smile. "Definitely, it's not that deep."

Medvedev has since revealed he and his American counterpart now share a "good relationship" after coming a long way in their tennis journeys. However, he stopped just short of agreeing he and Fritz could be called "friends."