THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2022

Taylor Fritz

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/J. Kubler

6-3, 6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Taylor, give us your thoughts on reaching the quarterfinals.

TAYLOR FRITZ: It's amazing. First time obviously feels great. It was, I'd say, a pretty tough match. I played well. I got tight at the end of the third. I was truly happy to kind of close it out, get it done in three sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First time in a quarterfinal. Do you think back to the finals of Indian Wells? What do you draw on to try to get yourself ready for a stage like this?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I've kind of been in these moments before, like, Indian Wells semifinal, Indian Wells final. I'd say probably it feels about the same as like a slam quarterfinal. Obviously three-out-of-five sets. I think it makes the occasion bigger if I am playing Nadal.

But I try to just approach it like how I did last time, treat it like any other match because I've been playing well. It's about kind of just replicating the way I've been playing and trusting that that will be enough.

Q. What were you feeling and thinking at the end of the match as it hit you about being at this stage for the first time?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Once it was over?

Q. Yes.

TAYLOR FRITZ: I don't know. Kind of just, like, feeling all the hard work I've been putting in, all the things I've been doing, it's paying off. It feels amazing. Doesn't even seem, like, real. I'm in the Wimbledon quarterfinal.

Things like this I've kind of worked for my whole life. It's great to kind of soak it in and feel like everything's kind of -- the work's paying off and I'm moving in the right direction.

Q. What time do you have to reflect on the low point for you when maybe the doubts were strongest and maybe the comparison with the feeling now?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, it's so interesting because three weeks ago, it was a low point for me. I kept telling myself that I'll find my tennis. I had to just kind of keep being positive. I was injured, coming back from injury, not playing great. I kind of just remained positive, stuck to, like, the process of working really hard, doing the right things.

The week of Eastbourne things kind of started clicking for me. Now it is crazy to go from where I was at maybe mentally after Queen's, like feeling injured, I've just lost like three matches in a row, to now I'm in my first slam quarterfinal.

It's a big jump. It's so interesting. It's kind of like how tennis is. One, two good weeks, five or six good matches in a row, can kind of just change everything.

Q. If it is Rafa in the quarterfinal, what can you take from Indian Wells tactically and mentally?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I was just very aggressive in that match. Took my chances. Against someone like Rafa, that's kind of how it is.

I feel like decision making is easy. I don't really second-guess shots like I would if I'm playing someone that I'm supposed to beat. I might think like, Should I go for this, should I play it safe? Against someone like Rafa, it's easy to always make the aggressive decision and kind of, like, play freer.

I've been this whole tournament playing people that I guess on paper I guess I'm supposed to beat. That's honestly always tough because it's tougher to play those matches than to play the ones where maybe you're not the favorite. You can be a lot more freer.

I know I'm going to have to bring a certain level. Just knowing that I will have to play a certain level, I know that I will play better.

It's going to be a lot different match obviously. Indian Wells was kind of crazy with both of us being extremely beaten up before the final. This time I think getting healthier versions of both of us, we'll see.

But I think the biggest takeaway was I was very aggressive, I was taking my chances and I played the big points really well in that match.

Q. Obviously from quite a tennis family. Do you have some early memories yourself of watching or learning about Wimbledon? Did your mom, dad, uncle share some Wimbledon lore, stories with you?

TAYLOR FRITZ: A little bit. Obviously growing up in such a tennis family, being around tennis so much, Wimbledon is I guess like 'the' tournament. It's the most well-known slam probably, the most history to it.

The only thing I remember is someone was able to get like a video of my mom playing Billie Jean King here. I don't know how they were able to get it from the tape to a CD copy of it. I think my mom was like 17 or 18 when she played the match. She got beat 1-1. That was kind of funny to watch, I think.

Q. If it's Rafa, what thoughts do you have about what the atmosphere will be like, what the opportunity will be like, what it will take to beat him?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, it will be a really fun match. I want to play him. I think that he probably really wants to beat me after Indian Wells (smiling). I think it will be really exciting.

I think I'll probably get his best game. Like I said, he definitely, definitely wants to beat me, play me I guess 100% healthy this time.

I'll just have to be very aggressive, play the big points well, serve well, do a lot of what I did in Indian Wells if I want to beat him.

Q. How big a deal do you think it is that you made it this far without dropping a set, so therefore, having maybe had less time and expended less energy?

TAYLOR FRITZ: It's always nice to get through the early rounds, even this far, without dropping a set.

Regardless of time on court, it's like your body's still going to be a little bit beaten up after so much tennis. I've got little things here and there, but overall, for being in the quarterfinals, I'd say the body feels pretty good.

Definitely have some work to do tomorrow to make sure I'm feeling my best for the quarterfinal match. But it's definitely huge to get this far without dropping a set.

I think also it speaks to, like, I'm playing a very just solid, consistent level of tennis. I'm not playing too many bad games, not too many, I guess, hiccups in the matches where I kind of just go off. I'm playing a very, very solid, consistent level of tennis.

Q. You're emerging as a leader of American tennis. It's the 4th of July. Have you been hearing from any luminaries in the American game, Roddick, Sampras? How does the American locker room support you?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, all the guys on tour, like American guys, are all my closest friends. We all support each other a lot.

As far as other players, I always hear from Mardy. He's our captain. He usually texts me after every match. Yeah, I mean, just all of us in the locker room are very close to each other.

I was rooting for Tommy a lot in his match yesterday. Tough 'cause Cam is also a really good friend of mine.

Yeah, I mean, we're all very close.

Q. About grass versus hard court. Anything that the grass brings out in your game that hard courts don't?

TAYLOR FRITZ: There's certain things. I think my backhand on grass is much better, stays kind of more through the court. The ball stays lower for the backhand. I think on a hard court, my forehand's a bit stronger 'cause the balls sit up a bit more.

When I'm feeling good on my serve, I love playing on grass because it just feels like it's tougher to get broken. My slider serves work off the court a lot more. I like to serve those quite a bit.

I guess on grass, like, I'll chip a lot more returns. It works for me because it stays low on the grass. On hard court I don't typically do that.

There's positives and negatives, I'd say. The most important thing for grass is that I'm serving well, and it's really been clicking for me the last two weeks, so that's been big.