AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2023

Taylor Fritz

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/N. Basilashvili

6-4, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Taylor, you started your match outside and then obviously the roof was closed due to the conditions. Did that change anything for you? How did you find that today?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I'd say from the ground I probably wanted it to be faster, so it would have been nice if we kept playing outside if it was hot. But when we closed the roof, it allowed me to kind of -- like, we walked off the court, got a chance to regroup a little bit. I came out a little bit real nervy. You know, first match at a slam as a top-8 seed, so a little bit nervous. Let me kind of regroup, calm down a little bit.

I felt like with the roof closed as well, it was easier to serve because it cut out the sun, cut out the wind. How I'd serve the ball on both sides is exactly the same once the roof was closed, so it allowed me to get into a really good serve rhythm for most of the match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just touching on the nerves you were feeling earlier in the match. We obviously have just watched the Netflix documentary, and you got to see behind the scenes when you were talking with your coach about the mental side, and that's something you are working on. Is that another learning curve, what you have experienced today?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I wouldn't say so. I'd say it's just pretty normal when you're a high seed, expected to do well coming out at a super important tournament like a Grand Slam. Been dealing with it for a long time. Basically every Grand Slam it's like that.

Kind of once you just get through that first match, then you feel a lot better. Even for me it was just getting past the first, like, 20 minutes of the match and just loosening up and feeling better.

So it's normal. There's always going to be pressure. It's always the most when you're expected to win so...

Q. Obviously played a fair bit in Florida. How uncomfortable was it before they closed things up? Was it registering with you that this was an especially hot experience?

TAYLOR FRITZ: It's hot, but it's dry heat, so I don't really mind it too much. I think playing in, like, D.C. last year, US Open some years, is much worse because it's so hot, plus the humidity. When it's like today, it's not that humid. I don't know. I don't think it's as bad.

Q. Is it a relief, though, that it's not going to be this sort of temperature for the rest of the week?

TAYLOR FRITZ: To be honest, I don't really mind. As long as it's this dry type of heat, then it's not that big of a deal. If it was this hot plus humidity, then it might be an issue. It would be pretty annoying to deal with.

Q. You talked about the first round. Did the US Open experience in September, was that sneaking into your mind at all in the last day or so? If so, how do you deal with that being a memory and getting rid of it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, of course. I think it adds pressure to my match today knowing I went out in the first round of the last Grand Slam. Now I know that it's a possibility. It's something that can happen. It would be really bad to let it happen again. Especially when I feel like I've been playing really well, and this tournament is a really good opportunity for me to have a big week.

Yeah, like I said, it probably added to the pressure of performing today. It's just good to kind of get through this one and now I kind of play myself in the tournament, and I'll feel ten times better going into the next match.

Q. Taylor, how do you go about figuring out who to practice with leading into tournaments like this?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Usually my coach just handles it, and he does a really good job. We typically just practice with, you know, a lot of other higher-ranked players who I've practiced with before that I know I have good practices with.

You know, I think people have different reputations for how good of a hit they are or how good of a hit they might be. It doesn't really matter too much. Then once the draw comes out, maybe we try to find someone that's somewhat similar to the person I play.

You know, I think the draw came out, and I was playing with Basilashvili, and then I think I might have had practice with Yoshi scheduled. I don't think that's the best prep. You know, a lefty that makes every ball when I'm about to play the guy that hits the ball harder than anybody, a righty. Stuff like that.

Q. Can I just ask you to explain what you mean by guys who are good to practice with.

TAYLOR FRITZ: I don't know. I think certain players bring -- you know what you're going to get. They're going to come to the practice, and they're going to be very intense. They're going to be very into it. They're going to give you a good hit. They'll make a lot of balls. They hit a good ball.

You know, not someone who's going to come out and miss every other ball or just hit a winner or whatever.

I mean, most people are good hits.

Q. Tyler, there's been a little bit made of the potential Netflix curse. You know, three players have withdrawn. Berrettini is having a battle out there with Murray. What have you made of that talk?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Actually, I didn't know that was a...

Q. A thing?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I heard about -- obviously I noticed the people pulling out of the tournament, but I didn't know it was a thing like I'm going to lose my first round because I'm in the Netflix show. I didn't think of that (smiling).

Q. Where do you feel your level is at at the moment? I know some people consider you may be the biggest threat to Djokovic, Medvedev, and the like. Are you happy with your form at the moment?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah. Coming into this week I had a very good week in Sydney, and practice-wise this week I've been hitting the ball well, practicing well.

I think today was tough to gauge my level because I can't really play my game when I'm playing against Basilashvili. He's hitting every ball so hard, I can't ever really get a chance to attack off of him. That's probably just not a good idea to try and attack, so I had to just be more reactive to him today.

So it's tough to really gauge my level from the ground. I thought aside from two games, I served very well. Yeah, I think next match I'm excited to play. I'll get a lot more looks and just play the way I want to play and be aggressive and be in control of points. But I am happy with how I've been playing.

Q. How do you compare the preparation that the United Cup gave you rather than the sort of standard issue knock-out tournaments that come before? Is there any difference, or the team element or anything that...

TAYLOR FRITZ: Not really. I guess if I were to lose the match in the group stages, I would still have matches guaranteed. You are guaranteed at least two matches at United Cup, which is nice.

I did play, like, a very high quality of players throughout the whole event. The lowest ranked person I played being Lehecka, who is still very good.

So, I guess, I don't know, I got a lot of prep playing top-15 players, and that's, I guess, not quite normal. You would play four guys in the top 15 maybe the week before.

Q. Looking ahead to your second round, you obviously don't know your opponent yet, but one of them is potentially Australia's Alexei Popyrin. What can you tell us about that matchup? Obviously another big, striking guy.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, we just played in a XO in Kooyong a couple of days ago. He honestly plays kind of similar to myself. Big serve. Looks to get around and attack with his forehand, and he has a pretty solid backhand.

I know he always plays well this time of the year. Especially -- I mean, most Australians like to fire it up this week.