INDIAN WELLS, California (AP) – American Taylor Fritz beat a sick Rafael Nadel 6-3, 7-6 (5) Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open and the 21-time Major Champion’s 20-match winning streak this Years to shoot.
“It’s an honor to be on the same court as this guy at all,” Fritz told the audience. “I grew up watching this guy win everything.”
Nadal’s usual fighting spirit was full of display, but he came into the match disturbed by painful breathing, which he experienced for the first time in a three-set semi-final victory on Saturday.
He took two medical timeouts during the finals. The first came after he lost the first sentence. Nadal went inside with a trainer after hitting his upper left chest. He received treatment in court after falling 5-4 behind in the second set.
“When I try to breathe, it’s painful and it’s very uncomfortable. It’s like a needle inside all the time. I get a little dizzy because it hurts. It’s a kind of pain that limits me a lot,” he said. Nadal, who turns 36 in June.
“The thing that worries me now is what’s going on, what I need to do now to recover and how long it will take.”
Fritz dealt with his own health problem.
He adjusted his ankle late in his semifinal victory over number 7 seed Andrey Rublev on Saturday, then tightened it again during his warm-up Sunday. Blue medical band could be seen over his high stockings.
Fritz took a 5-1 lead in the first set, breaking Nadal twice. Nadal got a break back and finished 5-3, but his backhand error gave Fritz another break in the set.
Nadal battled a match point on his serve with a forehand winner to tie the second set 5-All. In the next game he had two break points on Fritz’s serve, but the American held on for a 6-5 lead. Nadal forced the tiebreaker.
Nadal sent two straight forehands well far to set up Fritz’s second match point. Another Nadal mistake sent the 24-year-old American to the biggest win of his career, not far from where he grew up in San Diego. Fritz’s parents, Guy Fritz and Kathy May, are former tour players.
“Winning this tournament is just one of those crazy childhood dreams that you think will never happen,” he told the court.
Fritz dropped his racket and collapsed on his back. He stood up smiling with a look of disbelief on his face. He became the first American man to win for Indian Wells since Andre Agassi in 2001.
Fritz is set to climb from No. 20 to a career-high 13. On Monday, the ATP Tour rankings will become the top-ranked American player. Nadal climbs to number 3.
Iga Swiatek defeated Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in a women’s error final. The 20-year-old Polish player and Fritz each earned $ 1.2 million for their victories.
Nadal’s 20-0 start to the year includes the Australian Open, his 21st major league championship, which broke a tie with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. He has also won titles in Melbourne and Acapulco.
“Of course, the last two months have been amazing, memorable, very emotional,” Nadal said. “I enjoy things I never thought a few months ago I could live again.”
Nadal has already decided to skip next week’s tournament in Miami and go home to Spain to prepare for the French Open which starts on May 22nd.
Swiatek climbed from fourth to a career-best No. 2 in the world in Monday’s WTA Tour rankings, followed by top-ranked Ash Barty, who surpassed Indian Wells.
“The moment it’s too surreal to describe it, honestly,” Swiatek said. “But surely I want to go higher because I have the feeling that number 1 is getting closer and closer.”
Sakkari will move from sixth to number 3, the rising Greek star’s highest ranking to date. It corresponds to farmer Stefanos Tsitsipas, who reached 3rd place in the ATP Tour Ranking.
Swiatek lost all of the first three times they played Sakkari, all year. Last month, the 20-year-old Polish player beat Sakkari in the semi-finals in Doha and won the title.
Swiatek has five career titles, including the 2020 French Open. She is 5-0 in her last five finals, losing only a combined 16 games. Their new ranking corresponds to the highest ever of a Polish player, with Agnieszka Radwanska.
Gusty Wind affected service and shots from both players, who all had seven double faults. In the first sentence alone, there were seven service breaks, with Swiatek twice. Sakkari once held to connect the set, 4-all.
Swiatek improved his record this year to a WTA Tour-leading 20-3, including 11 consecutive games.
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