US OPEN

September 1, 2023

Taylor Fritz

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/J. Mensik

6-1, 6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Taylor, straight sets. How did you see your game tonight?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I felt good. I kind of had a clear plan of what I wanted to do, how I wanted to play him. I returned well. I was moving really well. Yep, I just played a solid match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I know you were disappointed in your performances at the previous Grand Slams this year. What has it been like getting through this first week for you? I know also just getting through the first week isn't what your goal is, but the one match at a time approach, making sure to focus in a way that maybe you struggled with earlier. Is there a different approach this week?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I wouldn't say there's a different approach. I'd say, if anything, all the bad slam results like weigh on you even more and add even more pressure to get through these early rounds.

I mean, look, I think Australian Open second round, I played fine. I thought Popyrin played really well. French Open, I lost to I thought a very good player playing well. And then in Wimbledon, as well. I was up two sets, playing really solid. Again, I played really, really well.

I feel like a lot of things I could have done different in a lot of those matches. At the same time I do think I've had a bit of a slightly unlucky run with players playing very well.

It just feels good this week that I haven't really allowed that to happen or given anybody the opportunity to do that against me because of how well I've been playing.

Q. Are there slams where you can feel momentum early on maybe in the first week, you feel like something special is going to happen?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I've had tournaments where it's happened one way, it's happened the other way. I've had tournaments where I'm playing so many good matches, I'm feeling great, then I play the worst match ever. I'd say a little bit of that in Cincinnati. I thought I played some really good matches, then I played Novak, and I played a really bad match. I felt like that was going to be the one, but...

Then I've had tournaments where I'm playing just awful, and I just get through a couple matches, then I start playing really well and I end up winning the tournament.

It goes both ways. I'm playing great, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself.

Q. It seems like everything is kind of working well for you. Are there a few things that are really clicking for you?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I'm playing pretty well all around. I feel like I have, in general, a pretty all-around game. I think just the next step to, like, really -- if we're going to talk about going extremely deep, winning the tournament, I think the serve needs to be clicking a little more than it is. I think I'm getting away with winning a lot of baseline points and winning a lot of points on my second serve because just from the ground I've been, one, playing well, and just been a bit better from the ground than people I've played, I feel like.

But I think when I start to play people that are very good from the ground, I am going to need to get more free points on my serve and rely more on my serve. I think that's the next step, to up that percentage and serve a little bit better if I want to take out the top guys.

Q. How would you describe the level of work it takes all year and also in the weeks leading up to the majors and during the majors to advance, the grind that's involved?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, it's so much because it's just such a long season and it wears on you having to always kind of be on, always be doing the right things.

It wouldn't be so tough if you only had to kind of get into this mindset and, like, put this work in and do it like a couple times a year, like for the slams, the big events. But you're doing it pretty much every week. It almost never stops.

That's the part that gets you, is you kind of just always have to be mentally and physically, like, just on, focused for every single match, every single week, sleeping well, eating well, gym, tennis, doing everything, or else you're not going to be able to compete.

Q. Before you came in this evening, some of the other Americans who advanced have talked about the effect success has on each other guy. What does it make you feel when you see the success of the other Americans that you've become friendly with?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, I probably shouldn't say that I'm friendly with. The other American guys, those are, like, my closest friends.

When any of us see the others having good results, it's motivating. I think they'd all say the same thing. But it's motivating. Because if one of us does something, the others not only want to do it, too, they now believe that they can also do it because we think we're as good as each other. If he did this here, then why can't I?

I think it's kind of this progression that we've had for a while now, why we're at where we're at. Someone achieves something big, then someone else comes and wants to match him or one-up him, and it's the cycle that keeps going.

We're all such good friends, it's motivating, for sure.

Q. On a day like today, do you watch them at all? Are you paying attention at all?

TAYLOR FRITZ: When I'm in the locker room, I'm watching. I slept in and had a pretty late day. By the time I kind of got going, Tommy was already done.

But, yeah, I was watching Frances' match when I was in the locker room, like just hanging out before my match. It's on TV in front of me. I'm not going to, like, not watch it, I guess. I don't watch a lot of tennis when I'm not at tournaments. I probably don't watch any tennis, at all, to be honest. I can't remember the last time I watched a Grand Slam final or anything.

When it's in front of me and I'm at a tournament, I'm always watching, yeah.

Q. What is your favorite Paul Annacone story and what is your funniest Paul Annacone story?

TAYLOR FRITZ: There's so many, man.

I think the funniest Paul Annacone story might also be my favorite, to be honest. Honestly, he tells me a lot of good ones with Pete and Roger. I think my favorite and the funniest one is he's talking about his career.

He was a serve-and-volleyer. I think he told me he finished that year around like 10 or maybe even a little higher, but he was close to his career high playing serving and volleying, not playing from the back at all. He said they worked a lot on hitting from the ground and improving where he was not as good.

He said the next year he felt like he was hitting the ball way better, but his ranking dropped a lot. He asked his coach, What's going on?

His coach is like, You're losing a lot more, but you look better losing.

I think, yeah, that's something he tells me when we're talking about not changing your game too much because you change your game too much, you might improve some weaknesses but you get away from what really makes you you as a player.

Q. How does it feel that all the Americans are moving on?

TAYLOR FRITZ: It feels really good, if I'm being honest. I expected it. I expected Frances and Tommy to move forward. Yes, even yesterday before everyone played today, I looked at the draw. This side of the draw is crazy. I looked at it for the first time, the whole thing. I was like, Wow, one of these guys, on their side, is for sure making it to the semifinals. Not to put pressure on them, but...

That's just what I thought personally. I was like, Wow, I wonder who it's going to be, but one of them is going to be in the semis, I'd say.

Yeah, we're all talking and seeing each other in the locker rooms and stuff. It's cool. We're going to hopefully keep it going.

Q. You were talking about trying to get your serve to click a little bit. How difficult is it to make it click mid tournament? How do you avoid overanalyzing it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I avoid overanalyzing it because, like, it's not bad. I'm serving fine. I just think if I want to really -- I'm saying if I want to beat the top, top, like Novak or Alcaraz, those guys, it's going to need to be a bit better.

I'm not overanalyzing it because it's not like it's broken or anything like that. I'm being a bit nitpicky when I say it needs to be better. I wouldn't say it's too hard to make it click. Literally all it can take is a couple serves in a warm-up and I'll be like, That's it. This little thing is the difference.

Yeah, I feel like it just will naturally with me just like playing and serving get better.