By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday July 1, 2022
The relatively unknown Dutch wild card fires into the second week.
Photo Source: Getty
What can you say that hasn’t already been said about 25-year-old Dutchman Tim Van Rijthoven?
A lot, because hardly anybody had heard of the talented grass-courter before he took the ATP 250 event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch by storm in early June. There, Van Rijthoven rode a wild card to the title, storming Daniil Medvedev in the final, winning the title at his first pro level tournament.
Medvedev summed up the improbable run of the Dutchman aptly at the time:
"Congrats Tim, amazing week. First time in an ATP tournament and straightaway you destroy the No. 2 in the world in straight sets," Medvedev said after collecting the runner's-up trophy. "I don't know how it feels, so it must be a good feeling!"
That performance earned Van Rijthoven a wild card at Wimbledon, and he has made good use of it. The World No.104 has reached the round of 16 on his Grand Slam debut, becoming the seventh ATP player to achieve that feat since 2000.
On Friday he waltzed past Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to stretch his winning streak to eight matches.
What’s working well for this rising star of Wimbledon?
“For me the serve I think is working fantastic,” he told reporters. “I've only been broken the last, let's say, eight matches a couple times. So, yeah, I think because of the serve I can just set up my game very well.
“I like to play aggressive, like to play a lot of forehands, also like to use my slice. I think all those things are very nice to have on grass.”
Rijthoven has been broken just three times in three rounds at Wimbledon. He has won 90 percent of his first-serve points and cracked 53 aces. At the net he’s been efficient as well, winning 40 of 52 points there.
He will face either Novak Djokovic or Miomir Kecmanovic in the round of 16.
He says that since before the tournament he has been dreaming of facing Djokovic at Wimbledon, and now it looks like he’s earned his chance.
“Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play him basically. So to be able to have that chance and to maybe even play on Centre Court or Court 1 is beautiful and magical,” he said. “Yeah, I go into every match thinking I can win the match. Also against Djokovic I'll go into that match thinking I can win that match.”
Van Rijthoven, a former junior No.13 who played the Wimbledon boys’ quarterfinals in 2014, made his ATP Tour debut in 2016 at Winston-Salem, and didn’t play on the tour again until last month at ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Now it looks like he could be here to stay.
"I've had my ups and downs, injuries here and there," he said Friday. "Also struggled mentally. I'm just happy to be in the place I am right now. I hope to be there for a couple more years, or a lot more years actually.