AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2022

Taylor Fritz

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/R. Bautista Agut

6-0, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: How does it feel to be in the second week of a major after such an impressive win over Roberto?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, it's huge. It seems stupid, like after that match I was almost close to like tearing up a bit. But it seems stupid, because so many people have made the second week of slams, but it's just, like, eluded me for so long. I have had a lot of tough matches, honestly a lot of tough draws, never gotten a great look at it, I guess.

But yeah, it means a ton and also to do it against someone who has basically been my dad my whole professional career.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Does it feel a long time coming, second week of a slam?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like, I mean, I have been in so many third rounds. Like I said, a lot of really tough draws and the more -- I mean, I served for the match in one of them, and then one of the other more winnable ones, my opponent just played amazing, was way too good.

So, yeah, it's just something I've been waiting for for a really long time.

Q. Have there been doubts, like there are tough draws, tough matches, did you ever doubt this would happen?

TAYLOR FRITZ: No, no. I'm 24. I'm getting better all the time. You know, especially recently my level has definitely jumped a lot and just my average level of tennis that I'm playing is so much better. So I knew that especially now it was just a matter of time, maybe at some point a draw will open up or I'll do what I did today and beat someone, you know, beat a really tough player.

I never doubted it would happen, but I definitely, definitely was getting sick of playing, you know, top-4 player for the opportunity every time.

Q. It's happened with the Netflix cameras filming you. Is that coincidence? How is it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I guess. It's just a coincidence. I haven't really thought much about it. I'm really just trying to play tennis and do all my own stuff. I'm not really thinking about it at all.

Q. Like you said, you played a lot of big guys in these third rounds before. Are you proud that you got a slightly less daunting path by earning a higher seeding? Obviously this is a big result in this one week, but you did put in work to give yourself a better opportunity also.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, absolutely. I was stuck in that 25 to 32 seed kind of thing. I was telling people actually if you want to make fourth round at a slam, it actually might be better to be unseeded than a 25 to 32 seed. A 25 to 32 you're going to have a much better chance of making the third round, which I did a lot, but then you're going to play a top-8 player. Maybe now it's more winnable, but, you know, the last couple of years it's been Novak, Nadal, Federer. Like, there is basically nobody in the top 8 that was really, you had a great look at.

So yeah, I knew I needed to get myself into that 17 to 24, whatever it is, to give myself a much better look. I'm still, I'm proud, it didn't come easy, I still beat an incredibly tough, tough guy.

Q. You get to look at a top-8 guy now one round later in Tsitsipas, who's No. 4, but he's had some elbow issues also. What do you make of that?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, Stef and I have played, I think we've only played once since in the pros but we played quite a bit in the juniors. We've definitely had some battles, but I feel like it's not a bad matchup for me at all.

You know, I'm playing well so I kind of just have to recover well. Funny enough, I feel much better after this match than I did after my last match. Hopefully recover well and, you know, if body is feeling good and I'm feeling good, then I feel confident.

Q. How was your leg after whatever you did to it on match point there?

TAYLOR FRITZ: It's fine. I just cramped and went to the gym afterwards and started cramping all over. Nerves, nerves are a crazy thing. You know, I've never cramped on court in my life, but I ruined my streak on that match point on the last shot. It's just because, for whatever reason, probably just because it was Frances, just extra nervous in that match, and it really, really affected me.