MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 26, 2022

Taylor Fritz

Mixed Zone Interview

T. FRITZ/M. Kukushkin

6-3, 5-7, 6-3

Q. (Question about the match.)

TAYLOR FRITZ: Physically it was really good. I was a little worried about my ankle. I have been definitely kind of holding back in practice the last couple of days, kind of just went once a day, took it easy.

Today it felt great, honestly. It's getting better and better every day. I mean, the MRI result was just fluid and tons of inflammation causing this pinching in my ankle when I have to move it in certain positions.

Honestly, today it felt great and I'm super happy with my tennis, the whole three sets. Even the set I lost I thought I played well. He was honestly too good when he was beating me. It was a really tough match. Happy to get through it.

Q. With the ankle, were you feeling anything? What sort of treatment are you taking on it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Well, obviously I can't be getting injections before each match and numbing it up. None of that this week. That was kind of a one-time thing for the final last week.

We have just been staying on top of it with trying to mob it as much as possible, keep the joint as loose as possible, lots of anti-inflammatories just to try to bring down a lot of inflammation.

Prior to the match I was feeling a bit of clicking in it when I was serving. Serving has been the biggest hurdle, I'd say. But on the court, probably it's just the adrenaline or whatever, but really, on the court, didn't think about it once.

Really happy that it wasn't an issue today at all.

Q. After the final in Indian Wells, I actually wanted to ask you this but you were obviously on such a high, it's not every day you're winning a 1000. How did you manage to maintain that level and not suffer a little bit of a letdown? Was it the fact you had a few days' break before coming out and having to play again or something else?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I just kept -- you know, obviously I want to go crazy and celebrate like this kind of dream come true, but I feel like one thing that definitely grounded me was having to rehab the ankle so much to be able to play here.

Another thing was I just keep telling myself never to be satisfied. I can't be satisfied with the win. I need to keep it going. This is another super-important week.

You know, maybe if there is a 250 this week, I pull out of it and rest myself up, but, you know, I'm looking at, you know, top 8 of the Masters right now. It's really important to have these big results at all the mandatory tournaments, the ones that are going to be kind of locked on your ranking.

Just kind of tell myself, Never be satisfied, back at it this week and gotta fire it up.

Q. You were also showing some interest in the Sunshine Double I think on the camera lens?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, that was just a joke. I feel like it's probably going to piss people off, like, Oh, my God, he thinks he's gonna win. It was just a joke.

Q. You're the only guy who can write that.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, but it's more of just a joke. Technically it's like still live, but yeah, I didn't know what to write and I thought it was funny.

Q. Next up against Tommy. You guys obviously know each other very well, junior slam finals. You're both playing really well.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I think the conditions here are good for him. He's probably one of the best movers on tour. These are very slow courts, very tough to put the ball away here.

He's going to be coming to net quite a bit, finishing points at net, and it's never easy playing one of your best friends. But in the past, I have done well when playing my friends. It's going to be a really tough match because he's playing well.

Q. With the win in Indian Wells being your first Masters 1000, was there any particular way you really went out and celebrated? Was there something that you actually really wanted, not that you couldn't afford it anyway, but that you wanted and said, Right, I'm going to get it now?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Like buy something?

Q. Yeah.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Honestly, no. I mean, I went straight to In-N-Out after I won (smiling), but as far as like buying things for myself, I'm not a big -- I don't know. I'm not a big person to like buys things for myself. I will probably go shopping soon and buy things for team members, loved ones. I definitely get more joy out of giving gifts than kind of buying things for myself.

Q. What did you buy for yourself at In-N-Out?

TAYLOR FRITZ: A double-double, animal-style fries, and a root beer. I was dying to have that root beer.