Taylor Fritz caused a major upset by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-6 in the final of the Indian Wells Masters
Taylor Fritz stunned the tennis community with a very impressive straight sets win against Rafael Nadal in the final of the Indian Wells. Nadal was in hot form and came into the match with a 20-0 win record in 2022.
Odds were clearly against the young American but it didn’t show on the court. With Fritz clinching the title in style. The local favorite, Fritz had an outstanding run in the competition defeating 7th seed Andrey Rublev in the semi-final and followed it up against World no. 4, Nadal with a stunning victory in the final.
Meanwhile, Fritz’s coach Paul Annacone has revealed that the whole coaching team had advised the American star to skip the final. Taylor Fritz is suffering from an ankle injury and the coaching team feared there is a risk of aggravating the injury if he plays the final and might miss out on future tournaments like the all important Grand Slam, Roland Garros.
“All three of his team, me, Mike Russell and fitness trainer Wolfgang Oswald all said ‘Do not play this match’. He said, I am playing. I can do this. I want to get out on the court with Rafa“, Annacone revealed the conversation prior to the match.
Is Taylor Fritz the next big thing in men’s tennis?
Taylor Fritz is currently ranked 8th in the world – his highest ever career ranking. Fritz has made some real quick progress over the past 12 months and broken into the Top 10 of ATP Rankings in a very short span of time. The wide range of skill set that Fritz has, makes him a very tricky opposition to play against. Fritz possesses a dominant serve that can reach 149 mph and solid ground strokes off both wings. One of Fritz’s defining strengths is his ability to hit sharp angles cross-court shots on both the backhand and forehand sides. He also has a good topspin lob. Recently, Fritz has improved immensely on his forehand shots which has given him an edge over most opponents.
Fritz has won two titles so far in his senior career – the 2019 Eastbourne International, beating compatriot Sam Querrey in the final, and the Indian Wells 2022. He is currently the no.1 ranked American in the ATP circuit. Fritz certainly has improved his game and it is evident in his recent results. The 24-year has been consistent on the circuit and if he maintains the consistency, he definitely will remain in the top 10 for a longer duration of time.
Men’s tennis is going through a transitional phase right now. It’s a matter of time before the likes of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer hand over the baton to the next generation. Medvedev is next on the line accompanied by a bunch of supremely talented youngsters. Tsitsipas, Alcaraz, Felix, Zverev, Shapovalov, and so on. Taylor Fritz is now certainly one of the top names from the next crop of players. And he will look to stay consistent and dominate men’s tennis for a long time to come.
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