“I Absolutely Feel Like I Belong”

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. However the American may, not less than for a second, have a look at the brilliant facet.

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 am positive in two weeks from now I am going to look again and I am going to say: ‘it was a extremely nice week,’ he stated. “Not solely did I get the possibility to play the World Tour Finals, I made it out of the group, had two good wins.”

🏆 1st Masters 1000 Title
⚡️ 3 Titles
⬆️ Profession-Excessive World No.8
✨ #NittoATPFinals Semi-Ultimate on his debut

Congratulations on a groundbreaking yr, @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 yr may have led to Paris, the place he misplaced to Gilles Simon in second-round motion. However Carlos Alcaraz’s damage withdrawal paved the way in which for a formative expertise for the 25-year-old. He was in a position to cap off an excellent season that noticed him win his first Masters title at Indian Wells and crack the Prime-10, with one other spectacular week and extra proof that he deserves point out among the many video games’ elite.

“I stated perhaps after my first-round match, first match with Rafa, I may have ended my yr with a second-round loss in Paris, and that will have been it,” he stated. “I’d have gone into the low season with that being the final match. Now I’ll really feel loads higher about my tennis, about my sport being executed for the season off of this efficiency.”

Fritz might go away Turin upset 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 yr to return.

The 25-year-old admits that it’s not simple to crack the Prime-10, and he’s conscious of the truth that will probably be even more durable to remain there, with the proverbial goal on his again, however he believes in his degree and the sport that bought him there.

“It is undoubtedly not simple to be within the prime 10, to build up all of the factors,” he stated. “There’s, I suppose, added stress to provide the constant outcomes that it’s worthwhile to keep in it. I completely really feel like I belong. I feel that I’ve proved that I belong within the prime 10 and I belong right here. I simply must preserve working laborious.”

Fritz, who will compete for the Davis Cup with Crew USA subsequent week in Spain, is wanting ahead to the challenges that lie forward.

“Thankfully for me I feel there’s a whole lot of positives to take out of this yr the place I completed,” he stated. “I completed the place I did and I missed just about the entire clay court docket season, did not have any coaching going into the start of the laborious court docket season. I used to be coping with accidents, and I nonetheless was in a position to produce a extremely strong yr. I am simply excited to type of get again to work, preserve bettering, subsequent yr look to cement my spot much more.”