March 21, (THEWILL) – In the men’s final in Indian Wells on Sunday night, Taylor Fritz won the biggest trophy of his career, unexpectedly ending Rafael Nadal’s perfect start to 2022.
The Spaniard entered the final as the hot favourite, but his 20-match winning streak came to an end as the number 20 seed won 6-3 7-6 to become the first American to win the title since Andre Agassi in 2001.
Fritz, who will rise to number 13 in the world as a result of his desert run, had been dealing with an ankle issue since beating Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals, and he revealed it had been a serious concern in the hours building up to the greatest match of his life so far.
Despite the focus on Fritz’s movement, Nadal was the one who was plainly unwell from the start of the competition. The 21-time Grand Slam champion suffered a pectoral injury late in his epic victory over Carlos Alcaraz, and he looked sad and lost during the first set.
As Nadal lacked his customary fire and force, Fritz stormed through his defences on a fourth break point in the first game and breezed into a 5-1 lead in the blink of an eye.
The three-time winner managed to claw back a break, but the 24-year-old American was unfazed, and he broke the Spaniard’s serve for the third time to capture a wild and disappointing first set in 39 minutes.
Nadal took a break from the match to consult with the doctor and receive treatment, and his play in the second set was more urgent.
The pair traded breaks until Fritz saved four break opportunities on his route to a valiant hold in the fifth game. At 4-4, Nadal pressed for a break and ended a lung-busting 36-shot rally with a crosscourt pass to set up a break point.
However, he was unable to convert and in order to keep his title, he underwent a massage prior to serving. The 36-time Masters 1000 winner is no stranger to high-pressure situations, and he needed all of his experience to keep his championship hopes alive.
At 6-5, Fritz went into clutch mode, saving two break points and piling additional pressure on Nadal.
To force the tiebreaker, the Mallorcan held steady and attempted to seize control with a little break to grab a 5-4 lead. However, on his second match chance, he hit a drive volley wide and then miscued on a forehand, allowing Fritz to serve it out and win the breaker 7-5.
“This is like one of those childhood dreams you never even think could come true,” Fritz said after the match.
“I just can’t believe it’s real. I can’t even begin to describe how ridiculous it is I could play like I did today [with the ankle]. I’ve never experienced worse pain than that before a match. I took a couple of changes in direction with my steps and screamed. It was tough.
“We did a lot of work on the ankle leading up to the match. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions thinking there’s no way I can play. Then I went out hitting on the back courts and feeling happy, thinking I can play. It didn’t affect me at all on court, so I couldn’t be happier.”
He added: “I’ve lost matches against the big guys my whole life. It feels like they are unbeatable. So to do it on the biggest stage, there’s no other way, to win a big title you have got to beat the best. He was unbeaten too. I hope he’s okay, I know there was some stuff going on. I can’t imagine how his body is feeling after 20-something matches.”
Nadal, who will now be ranked third in the world, could not hide his disappointment at missing out on a record-tying 37th Masters championship during the trophy presentation, but he was an gracious as ever in defeat.
“Congrats to you, Taylor. Well done today, to you and your team. You are doing great. I know it’s a big day for all of you, so enjoy it. Very well played.
“I tried my best during the last two weeks. Today it was not possible, but I had a good fight to the end I think, and I’m happy for that. It’s been a very emotional beginning to the season for me.
“It’s been a while since I had a chance to play here, and everyone knows it’s one of my favourite places without a doubt, so I’m very happy to be back.”
“I really enjoy it a lot every single day that I spend here at Indian Wells. Hopefully I can keep coming back for the next couple of years.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
