Taylor Fritz had the opportunity to face both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the space of a few days. The American lost both matches: the first in the US Open final against the ATP No. 1 and the second in the Laver Cup against the young Spaniard. Speaking on the sidelines of the final day in the Laver Cup, the American analyzed why Carlitos is a more complete tennis player on Tour, even above his Italian rival.
“It’s difficult to make a comparison between the two of them, also because the playing conditions in which I faced them were completely different. The court is much slower here than in the US Open. So it’s tough,” Fritz explained when asked to list the differences between Carlitos and Jannik.
“I had the feeling that Sinner could serve better, but today I felt like I didn’t have time to play my shots. I was trying to get into the rallies, feel the ball, but I couldn’t adapt. Alcaraz always rushed me by moving from one side of the court to the other. Against Alcaraz I had less room to breathe, but obviously they are both two crazy players,” he added.
Team Europe won the Laver Cup for the fifth time by beating Team World 13-11. The defeat of Frances Tiafoe, ahead by a set and a break, against Alexander Zverev put the team captained by John McEnroe in trouble. The last of the Europeans to take to the field was in fact Carlitos. Fritz tried to fight until the end, but the Spaniard proved to be too difficult an opponent to overcome. Alcaraz imposed himself in two sets with the score of 6-2, 7-5, winning the decisive match in his debut in the competition created by Roger Federer to pay homage to Rod Laver.
Carlos Alcaraz knows how to celebrate 🤣🍺
Party time for Team Europe at the #LaverCup 🍾 pic.twitter.com/jH6R3SycuE
— Eurosport (@eurosport) September 22, 2024