Taylor
Fritz talked about defending his
Japan Open title in a quirky interview where
he responded with his shirt on backward.
The
American tennis player is currently competing in the Tokyo Open, where he is
the top seed and successfully advanced to the round of 16 after defeating
Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-3 in the first round.
Fritz had a
strong performance in Tokyo after a disappointing early exit at the Shanghai
Masters 1000, where he lost to Diego Schwartzman. Schwartzman is currently
experiencing one of the worst tennis phases in several years and has fallen out
of the top 100.
During an
interview with the press following his victory over Norrie, Fritz highlighted
the challenging draw he is facing in the Japan Open, despite it being an ATP
250 event. The draw includes several top-20 players, including Casper Ruud,
Alex de Minaur, Tommy Paul, and Hubert Hurkacz.
"It
was tough, I think. Obviously, in the beginning, seeing the draw and getting
Cam first round is really tough. He is the highest-ranked player that was not
seeded. And him and I have had lots of really close matches. It's gone both
ways in the past. So definitely, a tough first round. I am happy I played
well," American No. 1 said.
During the
interview, it caught everyone's attention that Fritz was wearing a white
T-shirt inside out. The athlete took the situation with humor and even shared
the interview on his Instagram.
"I
went to press w my shirt inside out," he wrote on his Instagram.
Fritz is
the defending champion after winning the title last year by defeating his
compatriot Frances Tiafoe in a closely contested match that ended with Fritz
winning in consecutive sets, both in tie-breaks. In the second round, he will
be facing the local player Shintaro Mochizuki, who entered the tournament with
a Wild Card and defeated the Argentine Tomas Etcheverry.