DAVIS CUP QULIFIERS 2ND ROUND: CZECHIA vs USA

September 12, 2025

Bob Bryan

Taylor Fritz

Team USA

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/J. Mensik

6-4, 6-3

Team Czechia - 1

Team USA - 1

THE MODERATOR: To start, Taylor, why don't you give us your thoughts on the match. And, Bob, just thoughts on tonight overall.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, it was a tough match. I think the conditions are really tough. You have to play very differently with just how slow the court is, especially at night. You know, humid, heavy conditions. Sometimes even being aggressive can actually, like, hurt you.

So it definitely took me a couple of games to kind of figure out what shots were good, what shots maybe I should avoid. I got into a good rhythm. I thought I played well.

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: We'll definitely take a 1-1 after the first day. I thought the crowd was awesome. They brought a lot of energy.

Really impressed with how Taylor fought today. He's been a little under the weather, as you guys can see. You know, he was laser-focused, and his game really was there tonight for us.

We're happy being 1-1 going into the doubles. The guys have been having a good week of practice and looking forward to seeing that matchup tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Taylor, you sound not great. What's your ailment? What happened yesterday?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I'm sick. Like, I felt like two of the practices I had in the days leading up kind of didn't feel right. I felt like I was getting so, just exhausted for no reason. I kind of felt like maybe some sickness was coming on.

Two nights ago, I finished a practice with Frances and I was driving home, and I just started feeling, like, just so, so sick. I was up all night just, like, coughing, sore throat, all that normal stuff.

I woke up yesterday morning just, I felt so bad. It was just like yesterday was kind of like that peak day of the sickness where it's, like, the worst.

I still don't feel great, but today, where I was at yesterday, like, I'm a lot better today, for sure.

Q. How do you guys feel about Taylor's win going into tomorrow?

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: It's a big, big boost. Going in when I woke up this morning, I didn't know if Taylor would be available to his team, and obviously I was excited to hear the news that he was turning the corner with his sickness and he was going to be able to go out there and compete.

So, look, a 1-1 is a good spot for this team. You know, we've got two experienced players playing doubles tomorrow. Hopefully get us into that lead, and then we can close the door. But 1-1, sleeping on that feels good.

Q. What do you feel like you have to do tonight and tomorrow morning to get ready for tomorrow?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I need to get a good night's sleep. I need to do what I'm doing. Like I said, I felt better, felt a little better today, hopefully feel a little better tomorrow. Yeah, I just need to get some good sleep and some good meal in and kind of just go through my prematch routines.

Q. Bob, you have won some big matches where you weren't feeling 100%. How great was that performance from Taylor tonight to get through that? That's got to be epic.

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, we were just all huge smiles on our faces. I was blown away by the effort Taylor put in tonight. Sometimes when you're not feeling your best, you kind of just focus on the present and take one point at a time and just... Taylor, I don't think he knew how long he could be out there, so it was key that he close the door there in the second set.

We were all surprised and impressed by the effort. Truly blown away.

Q. Bob, can you talk about Raj and Austin as the doubles and what we might expect from the Czech doubles team tomorrow, as well?

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: Yeah. Look, the Czech team in February played Mensik and Machac, and they won comfortably. On the roster is Pavlasek and Machac, so we wouldn't be surprised if they make a change. We have scouted all the different combinations, and we are comfortable with anything they throw at us.

Raj and Austin have played many great matches for us in the past. They had a great Olympics last year. They just have been building every day in practice and getting better and better.

I think tomorrow will be, you know, a really good moment for them, and, you know, we're going to have a good warm-up and get them ready and just let the tennis take care of itself.

Q. Taylor, you said you started to turn the corner with the illness. What are the steps you need to take to get as close to 100% as possible to face a great player like Lehecka? What's the process, if you can take us through it?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Just kind of do what I have been doing the last three or four days. A lot of fluids, a lot of Vitamin C, trying to sleep as much as possible. It's tough. I haven't really, like, left my bed much the last two days.

You know, like I said, yesterday was really the worst, and today a little better. That's normally how it goes when I do get sick. I hit that one day where it's the worst, and then every day after that I just get a little bit better.

Q. Can you make an adjustment? Frances seems to be in a little bit of a slump. Taylor...

CAPTAIN BOB BRYAN: Yeah, Reilly has been here practicing for seven or eight days. He's not a bad option. But I didn't think Frances was hitting the ball poorly tonight. He went up against someone who was seeing it very big.

He had a small window in the first set and he didn't take it, and against a player that's playing that well, if you don't take your opportunities, it can run away from you. But I don't think Frances is in a bad spot.