DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 21, 2024

Taylor Fritz

Team USA

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/A. de Minaur

6-3, 6-4

Team USA - 1

Team Australia - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Taylor, the fact that you were down Love-1 coming into this match, the pressure or the attention on you for that? And also, how did you feel coming off beating Alex last week in Turin? Did that help, as well?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I don't know if I'd say it helped, because, I mean, he had his chances in that match. He was up a set, lots of breakpoint opportunities. So, you know, I think what he was doing in Turin was honestly working against me. I think he knows that, as well.

I said in Turin, like, I'm not looking forward to having to play this guy again in five, six days, because he's a really tough person to play.

I played well. I think the court kind of skidding through a little bit more than Turin. It helped me a bit. He wasn't just able to take control of the rallies maybe as much as he could in Turin.

I mean, it's a huge win. Obviously being down 0-1, it would be a pretty bad feeling for the whole team to come all the way here, two matches and we're out, just like that.

You know, I'm glad I was able to play a good match, get it done, beat a really tough opponent, and give us a chance for the doubles.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the element of mind games with Davis Cup in terms of the lineups. Just now Kokkinakis was saying that he thought that Tommy Paul was actually going to play, he hadn't seen Ben, so it was a surprise for him. For you, as a player, how does that play in your mind and how do you see that element of Davis Cup? Is it usually predictable? Is it mind games? What's it like?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Wait, sorry, what did...

Q. Kokkinakis thought that Tommy Paul was going to play, not Ben Shelton.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Oh, like the lineups?

Q. The lineup.

TAYLOR FRITZ: I don't think we're really playing too many mind games. You know, we thought Popyrin was going to play (smiling). You know, we thought Popyrin was going to play.

But I think sometimes, you know, you can almost do the wrong thing if you get too deep into the mind games. Look, I see why they played Thanasi. He had some big wins for them in the last stage. Maybe he felt like he was playing the best in practice.

You know, I just got here. Everyone else was here before me. But from what I heard, everyone felt like Ben was playing really great in practice, so that's why we wanted to put Ben in.

Not really any, I guess, mind games being played, but I think there is, like, you know, matchup things that you try to do. You know, like, I potentially wasn't going to play this match, having just gotten in, but if I don't play, then it's Tommy, and Tommy plays and Ben plays second, and if Demon is playing, which we found out he was, then Demon's record is very good on Tommy, so, okay, I should play this one. You know, there is more strategic stuff going on in terms of how you think you match up to who the other team is going to play.

Yeah, I think in today's situation, I think both teams just picked off of who they felt was playing well this week.

Q. You have obviously had a lot of big matches in your career and especially this year. When you step on court in the situation and it's do-or-die, is it second nature for you now to step up? Do you feel that that's something that you've particularly improved on?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, yeah. I think it obviously depends on the moment and who you're playing against, but there is not really any other option when our team is down 0-1. I just have to show up and bring it in and hopefully get the win.

Yeah, there's not really any alternative thing to do. I just have to show up and win.

Q. Taylor, what is it like in this, unusual for an individual sport, for this situation to be sitting out there courtside watching a teammate? How does that feel, and knowing, then, depending on his result, that will affect maybe your mindset going into your match right after?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, I don't think it really affects my mindset either way. In my mind this whole time, it's been very -- for me, my match is very must-win regardless. Even if Ben wins that match, then I still want to take it. Anything can happen in doubles, I don't want it to have to go there.

It didn't really affect me too much. It's definitely nerve-racking. I don't typically watch a lot of tennis, but then when I start watching tennis, I fully just bit all my fingernails off during the match. I get way more nervous watching, you know, team events and my friends play than me, myself playing.

Q. Kind of related to that, it was notable that you were still out there at the end of Shelton's singles watching courtside. I think a lot of players go in quite early and warm up. Can you talk through the decision to kind of stay out there through the whole thing?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, everyone is different with how they warm up and stuff. I was told it's like 15, 20 minutes after that match finishes, so, you know, I did all the other stuff, I guess, that I do to prep, like tape my feet, grip my racquets, shower, change, get in my match stuff. I did all that stuff right when he went out there.

So then I could just be out there, because, I mean, I need 10 minutes to, realistically I only need 10 minutes to warm up and get going before a match. So I wanted to stay out there the whole time and support.

Q. You mentioned how nerve-racking you find it watching. Did that affect your mindset going into the next match, or are you able to kind of just turn that off straightaway and get into a mode where you're not so nervous?

TAYLOR FRITZ: No, it doesn't affect me when I'm actually playing. It's like when I'm watching, I have no control over anything, so I think that's what kind of makes me nervous. When I'm playing, I'm maybe a little bit more nervy just because it's Davis Cup, it's a team event, but I feel like I handled it well. I played a lot of big points well today.

I feel like once I get out there and start playing and feel like I'm serving well, hitting the ball right, then, you know, that feeling of nerves kind of is not really there.