Sign up
news article img

Tennis

Taylor Fritz Ends Rafael Nadal’s Winning Streak to Secure Indian Wells Title

Rafael Nadal kicked 2022 off with an epic 20-winning streak and he was a clear favorite to win Indian Wells… but all good things must come to an end. Taylor Fritz emerged as the surprising winner of the tournament after beating the Spanish tennis player in the final on Sunday. Fritz took control of the match from the get-go and won the first set 6-3. Nadal gave him more trouble in the second one, and they were tied at 5-5 before the 24-year-old American player managed to take the lead and win the match following an intense tiebreaker. Nadal took two medical timeouts throughout the match and later revealed that breathing problems hindered his performance. "When I'm breathing, when I'm moving it's like a needle all the time inside here. I get dizzy a little bit because it's painful. It's a kind of pain that limits me a lot. It's not only about pain, I don't feel very well because it affects my breathing," explained Nadal. Fritz managed to break Nadal’s 20-winning streak with his win at the BNP Paribas Open. He’s the first American tennis player to win the title at this tournament since Andre Agassi in 2001 and this marks his very first Masters 1000 victory.