In the lead-up to the biggest match of his career, Fritz was battling an ankle injury in his semifinal win over Andrey Rublev, but he was no longer a deterrent on Sunday.
Fritz, who became the first American since Andre Agassi to win the title at Indian Wells in 2001, has now climbed to a career-high No. 8 in the world rankings.
An emotional Fritz said in his on-court interview, “It’s one of those childhood dreams – winning this tournament, especially Indian Wells – it’s one of those childhood dreams you never imagined ” “I just keep saying: ‘No, there’s no way for it.’
“I can’t begin to describe how ridiculous it is that I can play like I do today. I’ve never experienced more pain in a match than before. I made a few changes in direction with my moves and it was harsh .
“We did a lot of ankle work till the match. I went through a roller coaster of emotions, thinking I couldn’t play any more. Then I hit the back court and felt happy that I could play. It didn’t affect me on the court at all, so I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’ve lost these matches against big guys all my life, it’s always felt like they’re just unbeatable, so there’s no other way to do it on the biggest stage, you know. To win a big title. So, I think you have to beat Best and he is unbeaten this year, and obviously I hope he is okay.
“Obviously there are some things going on, I can’t imagine how the body is feeling after 20-something matches.”
Nadal reached the final with a winning streak of 20 matches – his best start in a season so far – including his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam win at the Australian Open.
However, the 35-year-old similarly struggled with an injury coming Sunday’s final and was seen winning throughout the match, regularly touching the left side of his torso.
Nadal said he wanted to start the season “perfect” before his transition to clay, but an unknown problem near his ribs meant he was unable to perform at his best.
“This [the run] It has been very, very beautiful,” he told reporters. “I’m honestly sad because of the way I wasn’t able to compete and it’s hard to have these feelings on any given day, but especially in the finals, it’s so ugly.
“In sports, it’s not about talking about the past, we need to talk about today and today is a hard day for me. I have trouble breathing, I don’t know what this rib is.” But there’s something, I’m not sure yet and when I’m breathing and walking, it’s like a needle all the time and I feel a little dizzy because it hurts.
“It’s the kind of pain that limits me a lot and it’s not just about the pain, it’s about not feeling great because it affects my breathing. More than that [being] Sad to lose, something that I immediately accepted and even before the match is over, it’s about that I’m suffering a little bit, honestly. ,