"Gives me a lot of confidence to come back and beat someone like Rafa" - Taylor Fritz after winning first match at ATP Finals
Participating in the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in his career, Taylor Fritz kicked off his campaign in style, beating Rafael Nadal 7-6(3), 6-1 in the first round-robin match on Sunday.
The ninth-ranked American replaced World No. 1, Carlos Alcaraz, in the line-up when the Spaniard withdrew due to an abdominal injury after retiring during his quarterfinal clash at the Paris Masters. Fritz faced a second-round exit against recently-retired Gilles Simon at the ATP 1000 event.
It was the fourth meeting between Fritz and second-ranked Nadal, with the head-to-head now standing at 2-2. The one-hour and 37-minute long match saw the first set enter a tie-break after neither player could break the other's serve. The 25-year-old stepped up in the second set in his favorable fast-paced conditions, converting two break points to close out the match.
In a press conference afterward, Fritz expressed his joy at getting the chance to compete and end his season in Turin instead of a disappointing outing in Paris. He stated that beating Nadal gave him a lot of confidence.
"It feels great. I'm super happy to just get the chance to play here," Taylor Fritz said. "It's a much better way of ending my year than how I went out in Paris. It could have been the end of my year. Gives me a lot of confidence to come back, play a really good match, and beat someone like Rafa."
"Yeah, it's great to be here even playing this tournament. Then to come out and win is even better. I think coming out first match, especially I wanted first goal to make it out of the group, obviously. It was a super important match in terms of that. It would have been a rough spot to lose and feel like I have to win out my next two matches if I want a chance to make it out," he added.
"When I play the top guys, I just always play better tennis" - Taylor Fritz
The year-end ATP Finals is the only tournament where the top players do not get to face lower-ranked opponents at the start of the tournament. The event features the top eight players.
In a press conference after defeating Rafael Nadal, Taylor Fritz was asked about his preparations to face a top-ranked player first up. The American said that he played better against the best players since it brought out the best in him.
"I think I like it more because when I play the top guys, I just always play better tennis because I know I need to. I know I'm not going to get away with anything less than my best tennis. When I have those shots on the court, 'should I go for it', I'm pulling the trigger more," Fritz said.
"I'm much more prone to play a not-so-good match against a lower-ranked person who I really, really don't want to lose to. I think it's good for me that I can come out and play the top guys. Like I said, I think I always play well against them."