“Don’t think it would be even talked about on ESPN or our sports channels in the US” Taylor Fritz’s SCATHING indictment over the lack of popularity and coverage of Davis Cup in USA
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Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz has had a steady ascent to the top echelons of men’s tennis. The 25-year-old entered the ATP Top 20 in January this year, and is ending the 2022 tennis season as World No. 9. His highest ranking was no. 8, a spot he held in October this year.
The tennis phenomenon has had a solid season, playing in 20 tournaments with a win-loss record of 46-21. That is over twice as many wins compared to losses. He picked up titles on 3 different circuits as well – an ATP 250 title at Eastbourne, ATP 500 at Tokyo, and finally a Master’s 1000 at Rome. He also made it to the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals.
Fritz’s best Grand Slam performance this year came at Wimbledon, where he made it to the quarterfinals. An offensive baseliner, under the tutelage of fellow American Michael Russell, Fritz is eyeing major titles and a top 5 breakthrough in 2023.
While the ATP calendar ended with the World Tour Finals, Taylor Fritz’s tennis season hadn’t ended with that. His final performance was in the quarterfinals of the prestigious Davis Cup. With a best-of-3 match system ahead of them, Taylor Fritz’s victory was a crucial point in team USA’s favor, before their unfortunate loss.
In the first singles match, Lorenzo Sonego overcame Frances Tiafoe in straight sets (6-3 7-6) and gave Italy a 1-0 headstart. After this, Fritz stepped in to level the playing field. In the second singles event, Fritz overcame Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets. The first set demanded a tie-break, whilst the second set was a much smoother run for the American.
However, unfortunately for Fritz and his compatriots, the USA would go another year without the title, as the doubles pairing of Jack Sock and Tommy Paul fell to the combination of Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli in straight sets as well. Team USA, a record 32-time Davis Cup champion, lifted the trophy for the last time in 2007.
“No one really cares if we win” – Taylor Fritz on the sorry state of affairs of the United States Davis Cup Team
In a recent interview post their exit from the 2022 Davis Cup event, Taylor Fritz expressed disappointment over how the event is treated by America’s mainstream media. While tennis is one of the more popular sports there, Davis Cup’s popularity is nowhere at par compared to tournaments like Grand Slams or Masters 1000 events.
“It’s obviously way more important for us. I think no one really cares I think if we win. If we were to win Davis Cup, I don’t think it would be even talked about on ESPN or our sports channels in the U.S. Maybe we’ll win and I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but yeah, I don’t think so” stated the World no. 9.
He further explained his views by saying “but we all want to win. The importance of Davis Cup for me is basically like you either win the whole thing or you don’t. It’s not the kind of thing where we make finals and I’m, like, I’m happy we made finals. It’s like lose quarterfinals, lose semifinals, lose finals, it’s all the same. It’s either you win or you don’t.”
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Aradhana Nayak
(189 Articles Published)