Taylor Fritz made headlines at the US Open 2025 quarterfinal in New York on Tuesday, not just for his performance, but for his headband. The 26-year-old American tennis player stepped onto the court against Novak Djokovic wearing his Hugo Boss headband upside down. He played the first two sets that way before heading to the dressing room. When he returned, the headband was finally the right way up.  

The American athlete was lacklustre as he started the quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic. Fritz played and lost the first two sets, 6-3, 7-6, while wearing the headband upside down before he went to the dressing room and fixed it. After his return to the court from the dressing room, Fritz showed great form as he took a 4-1 lead in the third set, winning a rare break point off the Serb.

This particular break point served as a crucial confidence booster for the American tennis player, as Fritz had suffered a defeat in all of his previous 10 matches against Djokovic, showcasing a very strong head-to-head tally record for the Serb. Despite his best efforts, Fritz conceded a hard loss against Djokovik, who beat him in four sets (6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4) in the quarterfinals of the US Open 2025.

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US Open 2025: The upside-down move by Fritz triggers mystery 

Fritz’s inverted headband move in the quarterfinals for the US Open invited a wide range of speculations from fans and tennis experts alike. Some speculated that it could put Fritz in bad blood with his sponsors, Hugo Boss. Even the broadcasting commentators called the headband ‘distracting.’

Many also feel the fixed headband worked to turn his form in the match around after the second set, floating a theory about the inverted headband being an ‘intentional’ move.

In March 2024, Taylor Fritz ended an eight-year partnership with Nike to join Hugo Boss as a global brand ambassador. This deal involves Fritz wearing BOSS apparel both on and off the court, including at official events and interviews.

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US Open 2025: How did the internet react?

Fritz’s inverted headband that read ‘’.SSOB’ prompted a flurry of reactions from tennis fans on social media platforms. Many users expressed concern for the HUGO BOSS’s marketing team as they considered this move to mark a missed opportunity for the brand.

“I’m sure the sponsor, Boss, must be delighted that Taylor Fritz is wearing their headband upside down,” one user said.

Multiple other users also wondered whether BOSS regretted not paying up for exclusivity as Taylor Fritz’s apparel sponsor as Fritz is presently also sponsored by Chipotle.

“Sure, the upside-down headband isn’t great. But more importantly, I wonder if BOSS regrets not paying up for exclusivity as Taylor Fritz’s apparel sponsor,” another user posted on X.

Hugo Boss reportedly shells out $7 million annually for Fritz to sport their brand’s clothing on tennis’ biggest stages. A Grand Slam quarterfinal against arguably one of the greatest players of all time probably served as a primetime advertisement moment for Hugo Boss when their logo was upside down.