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Nadal’s 20-Match Winning Run Ends In Surprise Indian Wells Defeat
Rafael Nadal’s winning start to 2022 was brought to a halt on Sunday as he was defeated in the final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells by Taylor Fritz.
The 24-year-old became the first American to win the tournament since Andre Agassi in 2001.
Fritz triumphed 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) despite almost having to pull out of the match with an ankle injury.
“This is just one of those childhood dreams you just think would never come true,” said Fritz. “I can’t even describe how ridiculous it is how I could play today.
“I have never experienced worse pain in my life before a match.
“If I knew it was going to be that bad, I wouldn’t have come out here. I took a couple of change-of-direction steps and screamed and honestly I was trying to act tough because I had cameras on me.
“We did a lot of work leading up to the match and I went through a rollercoaster of emotions before the match thinking there’s no way I could possibly play today.”
At the other end, Nadal was struggling with breathing problems after a chest issue he picked up during an epic three-set semi-final contest with 18-year-old compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, his 20th win in a row.
“When I’m breathing, when I’m moving, it’s like a needle all the time inside. I get dizzy a little bit because it’s painful,” Nadal said.
“It’s a kind of pain that limits me a lot. It’s not only about pain, I don’t feel very well because it affects my breathing.
“More than sadness for the loss, (it’s) something that I accepted immediately and even before the match ended. I’m suffering a little bit, honestly.”
Nadal will not feature in the Miami Open, instead taking a short break before the clay court season starts next month.
He said of his first defeat this year: “I wanted to make it perfect before clay. It has been very, very, very beautiful. Honestly I am sad because of the way I was not able to compete. It’s tough to have these feelings, every day, but in the final it’s very, very ugly.
“But I am not the kind of person that goes down or goes very high emotionally depending on the moment. I am normally stable, putting everything in perspective.
“Of course, the last two months have been amazing, unforgettable, very emotional. I enjoyed things that I never thought I could live again a few months ago.
“Now is the moment to try to solve this problem as soon as possible, try to start on clay. The thing that worries me is about what’s going on there, what I have to do now to recover and how long it’s going to take.”
/Stewart Sports news editor
