DAVIS CUP QULIFIERS 2ND ROUND: CZECHIA vs USA

September 13, 2025

Taylor Fritz

Team USA

Press Conference

J. LEHECKA/T. Fritz

6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Team Czechia - 2

Team USA - 2

THE MODERATOR: Taylor, just real quick, your thoughts on the match, and then the experience of the last few days.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, it's tough, tough match. He played really well. You know, I think all things considered, I was kind of just trying to will my way, fight my way through it to get through the match.

I did a great job in the second set, just fighting off breakpoints pretty much every game, just hold onto the break.

Yeah, I had my chances in the third, and it's just real tough, I'd say, conditions for me to play in, and super slow. Felt just impossible to get free points with serve, groundstrokes, playing like such like slow physical conditions when I haven't really had the time to be training. I have been sick. It's just really tough to play through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Your tenacity out there was pretty impressive. What was it like out there, fighting for every point?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I'm just playing for the team, like one thing I'll always do is what I do best is just compete. So, you know, when I'm out there playing for our country and I've got all the guys on the bench cheering for me, I'm always going to go out and compete as hard as I can.

The way I was competing and trying to will myself through it is a big reason why I was able to win the second and give myself chances. I was just trying to struggle my way into a win.

Q. Taylor, you left it all out there tonight, and you played a guy who was just playing an extremely high level. How are you feeling at this point? What are your thoughts moving forward?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I did what I could do. Like I said, he's playing really well, and the conditions are pretty brutal from here. You're playing in, like, how it is out there, like, so incredibly slow and heavy, just impossible.

I'm going to want to be, be absolutely best physical condition, and unfortunately that's just not the case. I had to take days off and obviously hurting with being sick. So I'm just not as prepared as I should be for either one of these matches, so I'm happy I was able to get the win yesterday. I fought as hard as I could today, but it's tough.

You know, I think I still had chances to beat a very in-form player. He played well.

Q. What are you taking away from this week and looking forward to recover? What are you thinking?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, I think it's good that I got two tough matches in in these conditions to kind of start getting my fitness, I guess, back obviously after the US Open. I felt very just burnt out, played a lot of tennis, so I took days off.

Then just so happened that the days leading into this event, you know, the days that I was meant to get back on the court and start training and start getting it back, I got sick. So I wasn't really able to practice or get it going.

So it's great to get two tough matches in, and definitely it kind of gives me a head start in getting back into, like, full match shape.

Q. I had a chance to ask Austin and Rajeev a little bit about working with Bob and Mike since they are doubles specialists. What's it like working with Bob and Mike for you in singles with respect to what they bring to the table?

TAYLOR FRITZ: I mean, it's great. They're super, just team players, captains. They are very positive all the time. You know, make sure when you're on the court hitting, they're always going to make sure you're feeling confident, like you're playing great tennis even if you're not.

You know, so they just really keep the positive energy up throughout the team. I think it's great.

Like I said, having that confidence, they're just on the court being very positive. It helps a lot when you're going into matches not feeling good about how you're playing.