"It's about time" - Nadal after Fritz defeat in Turin
ATP
Rafael Nadal couldn't keep up with Taylor Fritz at the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin, and he was able to identify the reasons for his loss after the match.
Nadal and Fritz played in the second singles match of the 2022 ATP Finals. Casper Ruud bested Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets in the first match, and fans in Turin didn't get more than two sets of action in the second match either.
Fritz was the better player, winning the match in two sets 7-6(3), 6-1. He hit eight aces and 23 winners, while keeping his unforced errors count only at 10. Nadal was seemingly one step behind a lot of times, and that's something he observed as well.
After the loss, the Spanish player admitted that he lacked time to execute his shots. That was mostly because of the fast indoor hard courts in Turin, which obviously don't suit his style.
"It's about time. Tennis and the sport in general, it's about time. I have less time than him to do what I want to do on the ball. I felt that everything was going so fast. When that happens, normally you are under stress, and you don't have the time to play the kind of shot that you want."
While Nadal recognized Fritz's attacking tennis, he also said that it was normal for him to struggle as he was coming back from an injury and had to take on one of the best players in the world.
"In most of the points of the match, I was in a defensive position, and he was in an offensive position. That's what happened… But every single time I came back from injury, [it’s not normal] playing against top players [from] the first day. That's what's happens when you are coming back playing Masters 1000s and [the Nitto ATP Finals]."
