MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 23, 2025

Taylor Fritz

Quick Quotes

T. FRITZ/A. Vukic

6-3, 6-2

Q. (Question about performance.)

TAYLOR FRITZ: I feel like I played pretty well. I'm super happy with how I played. Like I said, it was a quick turnaround. I didn't get a ton of training in before coming here from my time at Wimbledon. First couple of days practicing here was pretty rough, and given that, yeah, I'm so happy with how I played.

Q. It could certainly be hotter out, but the conditions...

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, it wasn't bad. It can be pretty brutal. I've dealt with it before in the past. I have played some matches here where it's just insane.

Yeah, today was pretty mild. Even if it was really hot, I felt like pretty fast points, fast conditions. We weren't going to be playing a ton of long points anyways.

Q. First footsteps on the hard courts after a couple of months. Got a lot of momentum in the grass court season. How do you take them to the hard courts? Is there anything you specifically do, or is it all just a surface for you and you just play good tennis regardless?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, there is definitely a lot of changes I need to make. I think especially the biggest change is the balls. I think the Wilson US Open balls are probably the hardest ones to control. Definitely I feel of all the balls we use, it's the easiest ball to miss.

They are bouncier, they're a bit harder. So it is about dialing it in, feeling like I can put balls in the court, and also accepting a bit that I'm maybe going to make more errors than normal, maybe being patient with myself.

It is really nice to bring that confidence of winning matches from grass court season to hard court season, regardless of the conditions, that just winning matches and being confident is obviously going to help a lot.

Q. Your backhand line was incredible today. How much of a difference maker is that for you when you're playing well? Is there something technically you're able to do with that shot? Are you able to disguise it well? It just makes it such a big shot for you.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I have no idea. Today, I was laughing, it was kind of on fire, the backhand line today. I think one shot I do really well off of it, I don't necessarily need to be set up to go backhand line. I think a lot of people like to hit that shot when they have time or they're set up.

For me, I love to pull it on an open-stance ball when I'm stretched, and a shot most people and coaches probably wouldn't recommend you do it on. I almost do it better on some of those shots.

Yeah, it's fun. Days like today are fun when I can just feel like I just hit backhand line on anything and it's just going to go in (smiling).

Q. At a tournament like this, you're surrounded by fans everywhere. I have seen you run back and forth between courts, you're constantly stopping, selfies, all of that. There's no underground tunnel to go through. Do you like it, enjoy it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: There are two sides to it. There is times where I unfortunately run late to a lot of things so there are times I really don't have time to stop, and I feel really bad saying, Sorry, I can't. And sometimes I will just stop and make myself later.

But yeah, there are times where I do need to get to where I'm trying to be. Then there are times like now where, you know, I got nothing to do, and it's nice to be around the fans and see the, I guess, just the excitement running around. It makes it exciting for the fans, as well, walking around, there's players everywhere.

Q. I saw a video on social media today of you trying to multiply -- you know what I'm talking about?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah. (Laughter.)

Q. I don't know how you were caught up in that situation or what was going on. But more broadly, this era we're in, all these influencers doing interviews. A lot of them through ATP, too, asking you questions. I don't know if they're trying to embarrass you, trying to get you to do something. How do you watch this mine field that you have sort of created in this culture?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I don't know. I shouldn't have said yes to doing that. I knew it was one of those -- I was on Hollywood Boulevard. I had just left the ESPYs after party.

I probably drink maybe a couple of times all year long and always only ever in celebration. So this was ESPYs, coming back from grass court season. I was having a good time. It was pretty late.

So I'm actually pretty happy with how it turned out, because when I did the interview, in my head, I thought that I was, like, going to sound super drunk (smiling).

But I actually sounded very coherent, like normal. I don't think you'd ever tell from watching the video. I was happy about that.

But yeah, I know those street interviews are such a setup too. He said he was going to interview me, ask me some questions, and he hit me with a math question. It's really bad. It's really, really bad.

But don't underestimate when you're put on the spot and pretty intoxicated how hard it is to just do math in your head. Yeah, 5 times 2 and add two zeros. It was a bad moment.

Q. How do you sort of look out for those things? Even the Madrid car interview you did this year, there's stuff going on where I feel like people are trying to get you, or maybe you feel like they're trying to get you?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I'll be honest. I think the Madrid car interview, they were trying to get me, because in all honesty, I was super -- I had gotten in the day before from the U.S., was really jet lagged, and I preemptively said -- I was watching a game. My team that I partially own was playing league, and I was, Hey, I have been waiting for this all day. I'm going to lock in on this, whatever.

All the times that I was really nice -- to be honest, I had to talk to ATP about this. All the times I was very nice to the person, they just cut that out, and then just put all the parts in where I was being, hey, I'm kind of being upset.

Yeah, I was not happy about that one.

Q. You talked to ATP about it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I felt like if I was like that the entire car ride, then I'd be, like, whatever, I get it, I deserve it. There is a part where he asked for tickets, and I was, like, Yeah, sure, I'll give you tickets. They cut out all the parts where I was being really nice.

I don't know. I feel I was made to look kind of bad in that. But yeah, there are ways that people can cut things obviously. And like I said, this interview, the one I did on the street, I know better, I was drinking. I was, like, Yeah, sure. Let's go (smiling).

Q. You have always been one to play, like, every single week basically, not take much time off and not like to practice as much as playing matches. Was there any debate after your Wimbledon run about maybe resting a bit? Are there any scenarios where you would skip a week?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, there is a rule now you have to play a certain amount of 500 events, and I was injured earlier in this year and I missed two 500 events because of that. So to actually meet my amount of 500s that I need to play, I need to play Washington, I need to play Tokyo, and I need to play Basel. So there is no other 500 weeks I can make up.

So yeah, I'm taking a zero on my record if I don't play this week. So I think if that wasn't the case, there would probably -- it's a really good chance I would have taken the week off. I felt like it was a really quick turnaround, but at the same time, getting matches, playing in the heat, training here, there's positives I can take out of playing this week.

I think it's good for getting myself in the rhythm of, you know, playing these humid, hot matches on hard court.

Q. It sounds like that's a rule you'd want to change probably?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, to be honest, I think when they announced, when I heard about the rule earlier in the year, I didn't think it would make a difference. I'm, like, I'm going to play in the 500s anyways.

It comes down to missing two from injury. Now it's like, okay, well, now I kind of just have to. I think there should be some kind of exemptions. There's like Masters 1000 exemptions for, I don't know the actual, like, I think it's, like, Grand Slam winners if you're a certain age. I don't actually know the 100% ones, but there should probably be some exemptions as well for 500s.

Q. Do you know who you play next?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, Arnaldi.

Q. What are your thoughts on that match? You played him in Acapulco. Tough match there.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I think he's a guy that when he's on, the level is really high. I felt like in Acapulco he played well. I feel like I played fine, and he -- I thought I played pretty well in that match, and he just straight up beat me. He was too good.

It's a dangerous match, because when things are clicking for him, he does everything really well. He's super fast, hits the ball big off both sides. He serves well. So, you know, I have to be really prepared for a tough match.