By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday,, November 19, 2022
Taylor Fritz couldn’t cover his disappointment after dropping in two tiebreak units to Novak Djokovic on Saturday on the Nitto ATP Finals. But the American might, a minimum of for a second, have a look at the brilliant aspect.
After falling to Djokovic 7-6(5), 7-6(6) on Saturday in Turin, the ninth-ranked American took a step again and talked about his achievements with some perspective.
“I’m sure in two weeks from now I’ll look back and I’ll say: ‘it was a really great week,’ he said. “Not only did I get the chance to play the World Tour Finals, I made it out of the group, had two good wins.”
???? 1st Masters 1000 Title
⚡️ 3 Titles
⬆️ Career-High World No.8
✨ #NittoATPFinals Semi-Final on his debutCongratulations on a groundbreaking 12 months, @Taylor_Fritz97! ???? pic.twitter.com/lDlCBH5JQQ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 19, 2022
Fritz, who went 2-1 in spherical robin play with wins over Rafael Nadal and Felix Auger-Aliassime, acknowledges the truth that his 12 months might have resulted in Paris, the place he misplaced to Gilles Simon in second-round motion. But Carlos Alcaraz’s harm withdrawal paved the best way for a formative expertise for the 25-year-old. He was in a position to cap off a superb season that noticed him win his first Masters title at Indian Wells and crack the Top-10, with one other spectacular week and extra proof that he deserves point out among the many video games’ elite.
“I said maybe after my first-round match, first match with Rafa, I could have ended my year with a second-round loss in Paris, and that would have been it,” he mentioned. “I would have gone into the off-season with that being the last match. Now I’m going to feel a lot better about my tennis, about my game being done for the season off of this performance.”
Fritz could depart Turin disillusioned that he couldn’t produce one other eye-opening victory in opposition to world-beating Djokovic, however he leaves together with his head held excessive, hopeful that he can obtain much more within the 12 months to return.
The 25-year-old admits that it’s not straightforward to crack the Top-10, and he’s conscious of the truth that it will likely be even more durable to remain there, with the proverbial goal on his again, however he believes in his degree and the sport that received him there.
“It’s definitely not easy to be in the top 10, to accumulate all the points,” he mentioned. “There is, I guess, added stress to produce the consistent results that you need to stay in it. I absolutely feel like I belong. I think that I’ve proved that I belong in the top 10 and I belong here. I just need to keep working hard.”
Fritz, who will compete for the Davis Cup with Team USA subsequent week in Spain, is trying ahead to the challenges that lie forward.
“Fortunately for me I think there’s a lot of positives to take out of this year where I finished,” he mentioned. “I finished where I did and I missed pretty much the whole clay court season, didn’t have any training going into the beginning of the hard court season. I was dealing with injuries, and I still was able to produce a really solid year. I’m just excited to kind of get back to work, keep improving, next year look to cement my spot even more.”