NITTO ATP FINALS

November 17, 2024

Taylor Fritz

Inalpi Arena,Torino

Press Conference

J. SINNER/T. Fritz

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Taylor, not the result you wanted, but still one great run. Can you please summarize this week for us.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, it's been a really good week for me. Obviously, it's a good way to end the year. Gives me a lot of, I guess, confidence finishing the season. I guess I still have Davis Cup next week or this week. Going into my off-season, starting next year, I feel like I have a good idea of what things I need to improve on, but I also feel like I'm playing very good tennis.

I feel like I've gone up a level and I'm much more confident in my game.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us a bit more about what things you want to change or improve.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, I think there's stuff open the physical side. I definitely need to get more just explosive, quicker first step. If I can just get a little quicker off the split step, it will help my return of serve a lot. If I can just put myself in slightly better chances to break serve, I think that's going to be a huge improvement. That's something I've done already, but I think there's still a lot of room for improvement there.

Something that got exposed today is when the balls got pretty worn out, I was struggling to generate any power with my backhand. It allowed him to take control of a lot of points. When the balls were newer, that wasn't really an issue. I was able to stay in the points.

Once they get big, it started getting a bit slower, I wasn't generating enough power on my backhand to keep points neutral. I would lose control of the points. I think that's something definitely I can work on. Tons of stuff.

That's really kind of the first things that come to my mind.

Q. What were your goals at the beginning of the season? I hope you've met them. Going to be No. 4 tomorrow. I'm curious, this is still raw, but have you reflected at all, even yesterday, about where this journey has taken you at this point?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I think I've thought a lot recently about kind of the position I'm in. I'd say more so this week with just the tennis I've been playing, it's more like I've been thinking about just the belief I had.

I think something I told my team was, whenever it was, 2023 when I won Delray right before I was defending the Indian Wells title, when I hit 5 in the world for, like, a week, I was kind of like, That's crazy, I'm 5 in the world, look at all these guys ranked behind me that are probably better than me (smiling).

Back then I was 5, but I didn't feel like I was 5. Now I'm ranked where I'm at. I feel like I belong. It's a different feeling. It's been a great year. That gives me a lot of confidence to have that belief. That's a huge part of having the big results.

The goals I set for myself were to finish top 5. My prior career high was 5, so I wanted to actually -- I hit 5 for a week, and I wanted to actually finish 5.

Q. Can you put into words where Jannik's game is right now, his level of consistency and precision?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, he's playing great. I felt like from the baseline, it was pretty similar to the previous match we played.

What I was really impressed with today was how he served. He served absolutely lights out. So many, so many lines. He placed the serve great. He took a lot of risk on the second serve as well. I think that was probably one of his main game plans, is to not let me get on, attack his second serve.

He did a great job of not only mixing up the second but being very aggressive with it, not throwing in double-faults for serving bigger and being a little riskier with it. Really impressed with how he served.

It would have been incredibly tough to find a break. I think in the first match, you might look at the stats and see one break point and one break point looks the same. First match I had lots of 15-30s, 30-Alls where I actually had second serve looks or serves that I got returns in the court. I was in play, like genuine chances.

Today was more like any look I got, 30-Alls, he'd ace me. I don't even really think of that as much of a chance. Even the break point, big serve, it's not much of a chance. Definitely more looks in the previous match.

If I wanted a chance today, it would have needed to be in breakers.

Q. It was loud out there tonight, mainly an Italian crowd. What was it like playing in that atmosphere? Do you try to block it out?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, I'm not sure if you're aware of some of my history of playing matches in opposing country crowds. I've dealt with a lot worse. This is nothing (smiling).

Q. I didn't get if you're planning to go to Davis Cup. I don't know, what does it feel to play the best player in the world twice in a week?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, first question, I will be going to Davis Cup. I think they want me to practice tomorrow. I said it's probably not going to happen (smiling). I think I need a day off.

Yeah, I would love to just go home. All the players, we came together and we said, We've got a really strong team, let's give our best effort, try to win this thing.

I can't do that to the guys. I got to go out and I'm going to give it my best effort with them. I'll be there tomorrow.

Yeah, it's interesting having to play Jannik obviously twice. Kind of what I said after the first match that we played: I feel like I can take a lot of positives out of the match.

Not only is he the best player in the world, but he's playing at an extremely high level right now.

I think a lot of people would say the most overwhelming part of his game is how he is from the back of the court, from of the baseline. I felt like today, excluding when the balls were pretty big and he could really get a little bit more time to work me, I still felt like I was in it from the baseline rallies. For me, when I feel like the most lost on the court is when I just can't find ways to win from the back of the court.

That part's encouraging. I felt like I could hang in that aspect.

I mean, it's great to play someone who's better than you because you really get to see the things that you need to improve on and it exposes a lot of your weaker sides of your game.

Q. Were there times in the match that you were feeling a bit dejected with some of the stuff that Jannik was coming up with? If there were those sort of situations, how do you stop yourself from feeling that way?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Not in this match. I mean, it was a little frustrating sometimes when, like I said, I had maybe small looks in return games, and he would hit another ace on the line. There's not much you can do.

I think in the first match, probably I had a fair amount of chances. Never really played any of the chances that well. Finally had a chance that I played really well. I hit that forehand line, came in behind it, and he had a great pass. That was probably the most frustrated I've been in the two matches.

No, look, he's the best player in the world. Not only is he the best player in the world, but he's playing also very well, at a high level. I go into these matches expecting him to hit incredible shots. I can't act like that. It's not expected.

When it happens, you just tell yourself there's nothing you can really do. When I do get frustrated, I get it out in a second or two. I might complain for a second, but then I'm always right back the next point.

Q. Looking ahead to Rafa's retirement, what is the impact he's had on the style of play and on your generation in particular, not so much the mentality but nuts and bolts tennis-wise?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, I feel like I see a lot of lefties that try to play exactly like Rafa. I mean, if I was lefty, I'd try to play exactly like Rafa, too. It's probably good I'm not lefty because it wouldn't be very good trying to do that (smiling).

Yeah, I think in terms of people trying to emulate his game, I feel like there's so many lefties that just look to Rafa as like the gold standard of what you want to do.

I mean, even me when I was a kid, I'd be on the court pretending I'm playing the French Open, doing like this and stuff. He's had a massive impact on my whole generation because we all grew up on watching him and Roger.