By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday March 28, 2022
Playing at a career-high ranking of 13 and riding a nine-match winning streak that includes a win over Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells final – could things be any better for American Taylor Fritz?
Well, yes, his ankle could be in better shape…
“The ankle, it honestly felt a little bit worse than it did in the last match,” Fritz said on Monday after taking out American Tommy Paul in Miami. “From Indian Wells it's like way, way better, but it clicks, almost, when I'm serving. Didn't have it in the last match. Had it in this match. Aside from the serve, though, it's like totally fine moving around and stuff. I feel like I'm moving well.”
It might sound like a good idea to rest, but Fritz doesn’t want to miss out on two of the biggest events played on U.S. soil - especially when he is playing the best tennis of his career.
“I'm just a better player, I feel like,” Fritz told reporters on Monday, when asked of the difference between how he is playing this year and in year’s past. “The past, coming here, I felt I played pretty well here last year, but conditions are also tough. It's windy quite often. Since we have switched here to these courts away from Key Biscayne, these courts are really, really slow. Conditions are very slow. Sometimes can be tough to get the ball by people.
“Biggest difference is just that I'm confident and I'm a better tennis player, so I'm winning more matches.”
Fritz: Nerves Won’t Be a Factor
Asked if he would be feeling more pressure after racking up his first Masters 1000 title, Fritz was quick to repy.
“Why would I be nervous?” he said. “I just won Indian Wells. I don't really care how I do. I mean, I don't care what happens this week. It's all positives, you know. Like obviously I'm going to try my absolute hardest.”
“I want to ride out this confidence. Also, like I said before, I went into Indian Wells not expecting to win the tournament, so, you know, I didn't really think about winning the tournament until like I had match point in the final.
“So I'm approaching this one the same way. I don't expect to win the tournament, but I take it one match at a time, and you never know.”