Taylor Fritz causes Nadal's first defeat of the year and takes the title

A debutant in a Masters 1000 final caused

's first defeat in 2022.

, 20th in the world, won 6-4, 7-6 (5), in two hours and two minutes, in Indian Wells and He left the sequence of triumphs for the Spaniard at 20, who despite everything will look like number three this Monday.

Fritz takes the second title of his career, after lifting the cup on the grass of Eastbourne in 2019, and becomes the first American to win the Californian tournament since

did it in 2001.

Winner of the Australian Open, the ATP 500 in Acapulco and the ATP 250 in Melbourne, and a three-time champion in Indian Wells, Nadal was surprised by the magnificent performance of a tennis player who has enjoyed the best week of his professional life.

The physical problems he suffered in his right chest further complicated the task of the Spaniard, who had been overcoming tough matches throughout the tournament.

When he seemed capable of taking the match into the third set, leading 5-4 and serving in the tiebreak, he missed a simple forehand volley after a long exchange.

Fritz got up and later made the second match ball profitable, this one at the service, since he had already had one for the rest, when he was leading by five games to four.

As happened in the semifinal match against

, Nadal started hesitant.

This time he lost the first four games.

Fritz, attacking his second serves, took advantage of the fourth

and made a good break afterwards.

The American was barely able to warm up before the match due to problems with his right ankle, which he protected with a bandage.

Nadal, who played the second semi-final, was coming off a very tough match, lasting three hours and 12 minutes.

By the time he knew it, he had twice given up his serve and was 0-4.

The American responds to the stereotype of a fast court player.

He serves well, hits flat and plays with joy, even more so when he made it to his first Masters 1000 final without anyone counting on him.

Indian Wells, however, is good at it.

Last October he got into the semifinals and in this scenario he achieved his fifth victory against rivals from the

.

close to reaction

It was not enough for the Spaniard to recover one of his serves, since he would give up the partial with a new setback on the service.

Without detracting from the good performance of his opponent, it was clear that something was wrong with Nadal, he was slow, limited, short of energy.

After losing the set he went to the locker room accompanied by a physiotherapist from the tournament.

He took a painkiller.

He was touching his right pectoral area, which he already complained about in the middle of the last set against Alcaraz.

He continued standing, waiting to delay the game and find his moment.

Difficulties seemed to manifest themselves on occasion when hitting the backhand, which led him to also deal with the slice.

The alternative produced returns to change the pace against a 1.96 man who has a hard time flexing.

In the case of who it is, it should never be left for dead.

Nadal's career has been built from a constant fight against adversity, the most recent example of which is the tremendous return to the courts after being injured for six months, the victim of his chronic ailment in his left foot.

Down 5-4 in the second set he was treated on court.

He had missed a break option and was in a delicate situation, with the obligation to defend his serve to continue in the final.

In the return he saved a

with a serve and a good forehand.

He hinted at a reaction, but was unable to solve it before the tiebreaker, not very accurate in the

options , of which he only took advantage of two of the ten that he had.

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